Affections Touching Beyond Worlds
by MillenniumPrincess
Summary: Emily and Max finally return home and reunite with their friends, but the heroes are soon sent to another world. Now Yugi and his friends must join forces with the Sailor Scouts to save Earth from an evil force. Everyone's feelings and loyalties to those they love will be put to the ultimate test as they face a foe with ties to not only Darien's past, but Max's too.
1. Prologue

**A/N: This story is dedicated to my younger sister, who had her first baby last month. ****She and I have had the idea of working on this story for years, and now I've decided to write it and post it for her.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Sailor Moon, but I do own my OC's.**

* * *

Prologue

School hours had ended a few hours ago, but Yugi was on the roof. It was one of his favorite places to hang out and think. He looked out on the horizon and saw the sun setting in the sky. Another day was ending and Max and Emily still had not yet returned home. He wondered when they would be coming back, if they would ever be coming back. He missed them both and he was very worried about them; especially the one he loved.

He closes his eyes and begins singing. _Sometimes I close my eyes and say a prayer_

_That finally today will be the day_

_I watch the horizon, no one's there_

_But somewhere, you are safe and on your way_

Joey, Tristan, and Téa listened to him as he sang. They understood his feelings and agreed that they missed the girls and hoped that they were all right.

_Oh, Emily_, Yugi sang, _Sometimes I wonder if you're still alive_

_How could you survive_

_Such a dangerous world out there_

_Out there, my love_

_Take care, my love, take care_

Yugi held himself and released a tear as he finished singing. He looked out on the horizon one last time before leaving the premises. His friends joined him and accompanied him on the way home.


	2. Home Again

Home Again

After passing through the door in the Secret Garden, Max and Emily found themselves standing in the park in front of the Domino museum. They were also dressed in their original clothes again. The girls looked around, recognizing their surroundings. "We're home," they cheered. "We're finally home!" They hugged each other and jumped for joy.

Max released Emily. "Come on, let's find the others."

"I can't wait to see them," Emily squealed. Together, they walked on the path and crossed the streets, passed the school, and came to the game shop calling their friends. "Yugi, Joey, we're back!" Emily cried.

Yugi raised his head, listening to the sound of her voice and Max's. "Emily?" he asked in concern.

"Max?" Joey asked. He and the others came outside and saw the girls. Joey's smile widened. "They made it back!"

"Joey!" Emily cried with glee.

The blonde lad caught her in his arms and hugged her. "I knew you'd make it back." He turns his attention to Max and starts hugging her as well. "Are you girls all right?"

"We're fine," Max insisted.

Yugi and Emily face each other in delight. Tears of joy were filling their eyes. "Oh, Yugi," Emily sobs as she hugs him. "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too," he says softly as he hugs her. "When we came home and realized you girls were in another world, I was so worried."

Max smiles and says, "You wouldn't believe where we've been and the adventures we've had."

Emily releases Yugi and turns her attention to Téa and Tristan. "I thought I'd never see you guys again."

"Tell me about it," Tea was saying. "I don't hear from my best friend only to realize she's trapped in another world. How do you think I can handle something like that?"

Emily could tell that Téa was upset. "Téa, I can explain."

"It's okay," Tristan assured her. "Yugi and Joey filled us in with all the details, so we understand. Besides, you guys were only gone for a few days."

Max didn't believe him. "It was more than a few days. We were gone for a few years."

"Actually, he's right," Yugi explained. "You see, after Kaiba and Joey and I returned from the Pokémon world, we came back to discover that we had been away for one day. Apparently, time seems to move at different pace in the other worlds."

Max checked the calendar on her phone and saw that Yugi was telling the truth. While the heroes spent a year in the world of Pokémon, it was one day back home. The girls spent a year and a half in the Xiaolin world, which equaled a day and a half back home. This seemed quite convenient because they didn't have to worry about how much they missed while they were away.

Of course, it didn't change the way the rest of their friends felt about the situation. Téa faces Emily with tears. "I know you guys have a mission to carry out because you're legendary heroes and I understand the consequences, but you've got to let us know where you're going and what you have to do. We're a team and we have to stay together through all the times, good and bad. I know I can't stop you from doing the things you have to, but I want to be with you and help in any way that I can."

Emily releases the tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Téa. I know we've been telling one another the same thing, but I thought given the full extent of the situation, it'd be best not to get you involved. I didn't want to force you into a situation that would risk taking you from everything you love."

Téa understood and said it was okay. She hugs Emily and says, "I'm just glad you're home safely. But, please, next time you go to another world, can you let me know? I want to be a part of it all. I understand the dangers, but I won't let it stop me from being there for my friends."

The blonde girl smiles and says, "Of course I can. I wouldn't have it any other way."

Max joins in and says, "The best part is, the worlds we've been to are free, so now you can explore them and come hone whenever you want to."

"That is good news," said Tristan.

Max also had a better idea. "Maybe instead of going with us to new worlds, you can wait until we've rescued those worlds before you decide to join us on a journey. That way, you won't have to worry about being trapped and if it gets to be too much, you can return home."

Her friends liked the sound of that and agreed.

Although the girls hadn't missed out on much, they agreed that catching up was still in order. They told their friends about their adventure in the Xiaolin world. Everyone listened without interrupting, intrigued with their story and impressed with all the things they learned and all the friends they made.

"Shen-Gong-Wu," Joey was saying, "So that's what they're called. I'd like to see them in action. I feel kinda bad for missing out on everything."

"Don't be," Max assured him. "We promised the monks we'd return to the temple. Maybe you can come with us and meet them."

"Maybe they could teach us a few martial arts skills too," Joey added.

"Chase Young sounds like he was a formidable foe," Yugi was saying.

Emily nods and explains, "He was brutal and dangerous, but he was also the kind of villain I figured the Dark Lord would choose to protect one of his shards."

"How many do we have now?" Joey wondered.

"Three," Emily answered. "One from Chase, one from Arceus, and the one Max has had for years."

Joey went further into detail. "How many more do we have to find?"

Max inspected her Cobalt Star shards. "The Cobalt Star was divided into ten fragments, minus the three we have, that leaves us with seven, meaning there are seven more worlds for us to travel."

"And they'll be no different from the worlds we've been to," Emily assumed. "But I'm afraid we'll face stronger enemies that those we've met in the past."

"Well, we'll be ready for when we meet them," said Joey. "We've been getting stronger too." His friends agreed, thinking they had nothing to worry about. They would also have the strength and support of the friends they met in the other worlds. With everyone coming together, the heroes figured they could take on any challenge.


	3. Flying Dreams

Flying Dreams

While Emily was glad to finally be home, she couldn't relax just yet. She had to stop by the bikers' home and pick up Avalon because she left her in their care while she would be gone. After dropping her supplies off at home, she got on her bicycle and rode to the apartment where Rafael, Alister, and Valon lived.

The apartment was just around the corner from the school, so it was convenient that the bikers lived close by. She parked her bike at the gate of the complex and walked up to the front door, but before she could knock, Rafael immediately opened the door and greeted her.

"Hi, Emily," he was saying. "I saw you coming over."

"Thanks, Raf," she said kindly. "I guess I should've called first to let you know I was coming."

"That's all right," he told her. "Come on in."

So she removed her sandals from her feet and walked inside. "I came to take Avalon home." Just then, her calico kitten walked across the living room and approached her. "Hello, Avalon," she said happily. "I hope you've been a good kitty." She picked her up and hugged her. The kitten purred happily.

"She was no trouble at all," Alister insisted.

"Not that I'm not happy to see you, but you're home a little early," said Valon. "I thought you said you were going to be gone for a week."

"My business I needed to handle went a little quicker than I thought," Emily told them. "But I still appreciate you taking care of Avalon for me while I was gone."

"Why don't you stick around for a while and relax?" Rafael offered.

Valon agreed. "We'll get Avalon's things ready for you." He got up and left the living room with Alister.

"Have a seat," Rafael said again. "Make yourself comfortable."

Emily turns and faces her kitten. "Oh, well, guess if he insists." So she sits down on the chair. Rafael sits right next to her, smiling affectionately. Seeing this, Emily asks him, "What?"

"Remember how we met?"

She grins and replies, "Well, I try not to."

"Well, I remember," said Rafael. "It was one of the best moments of my life."

"Maybe for you," said Emily.

"I'm serious, because it was the day I met you."

She faces him and wonders, "But don't you wish things would have started out differently than they did?"

Rafael began putting some thought into her question. He did wish they would have had a normal encounter like at a café or a library like normal people. Sometimes, Rafael wished things didn't start between them with him trying to kidnap her. At the same time, if he didn't learn about Emily from his previous employer, Rafael would never have found or met her. In many ways, he was happy things started out like they did.

Emily listened to his explanation and said it made sense. Seeing her look so relaxed, Rafael decides to further her comfort. He gets up, stands behind her, and places his hands over her shoulders. Emily moves away and asks, "Hey, hey, what are you doing?"

"I just thought that after a long day and a rough adventure, you'd like to relax."

She eases herself and sits back down. "I guess when you put it that way," she says and tells him to carry on.

Rafael begins rubbing her shoulders. He sighs and says, "I could get used to this."

"Could you, now?" Emily asked.

"Yeah," he sighs. "Just imagine, my love coming home after a rough day, me being here to help her relax, us watching our children in play, it'd be like living a dream."

Emily chuckles and says, "Imagine that."

"Can you guess who my wife will be?" Rafael asked.

"I haven't a clue," the blonde girl replied.

He gets down and whispers in her ear, "You, Emily."

Her eyes widen and she rises from the chair. "Rafael, I'm… speechless," she stammers as she approaches the door. "I really don't know what to say."

"Say you'll marry me," he says as he backs her against the door.

"I'm very sorry, Rafael, but," she says nervously as she reaches the knob, "but… I just don't deserve you." She turns the knob, opening the door. Rafael falls forward and lands on the sidewalk.

Alister and Valon were watching, trying not to laugh. Quickly, they help secure Avalon's supplies to Emily's bike and help her get away. Emily places the kitten in the basket between the handlebars and begins riding off.

Rafael stands up and dusts himself. He also sees his friends scowling at him. "What?"

"That was embarrassing and stupid on your part," said Valon.

"That's not how you're going to get her affection," Alister told him. "If you want her to like you, you've got to-"

"What are you, her father?" Rafael smartly remarked.

"I'm just saying she's going to reject you if you make a fool out of yourself like that," said Alister.

Valon agreed. "You should quit while you're ahead before you hurt yourself and Emily."

"Valon's right, and if I'm willing to agree with him on something like this, I must mean it." It was the truth. Alister wouldn't normally agree with Valon on anything unless they were both serious about the same situation.

Rafael watches Emily leave his sight. "Maybe I did get a little carried away."

"More than a little," said Valon. "Love isn't supposed to make you act stupid – well, maybe a little goofy, but you understand."

"Try to understand how Emily feels right now," said Alister, "and apologize to her."

Listening to his friends, Rafael agrees that they're right. He heads to the parking lot, revs up his bike, and heads to Emily's house.

The redhead and the Australian still had their doubts. "I seriously doubt things are going to work out between Rafael and Emily," said Valon.

Alister nods in agreement. "No matter how much we try to reason with him, he won't listen."

The Australian faces him and wonders, "You think he'll have to learn his lesson the hard way?"

The redhead faces him and replies, "I hope not. I hope he listens to us before he gets hurt; for his sake and Emily's too."

Emily made it home and parked her bicycle at her door. She took her keys and unlocked the door, but before she could pass through, the sound of a motorcycle revving rang in her ears. Rafael had caught up to her. He stops and parks his bike. "Emily, wait," he called. "I'm sorry about my behavior back there. I don't know what came over me."

She couldn't believe this. Did he really come after her? She knew it couldn't be helped. He was crazy about her. She grinned and said, "Don't worry, I understand."

Rafael's smile brightened up. "You do?"

She opens the door and urges Avalon inside. "Yeah, apology accepted. I guess I just overreacted a little too on my end."

He chuckles and says, "Yeah, love makes you do strange things."

Emily stops smiling and asks, "But you were serious, weren't you? About getting married."

Rafael was serious, but he wasn't sure how to answer. He decides to rephrase the thought. "I just thought maybe it'd be time to settle down."

As much as Emily liked the idea of falling in love, getting married, and starting a family, she wanted to do it with the right man at the right time. Right now, it was too soon. She had met the right man, but she wasn't ready to settle down. "I'm not ready for that," she replied. "I still have a lot to do."

Rafael shrugs and says, "I understand you need time. After all, you do have goals you want to achieve in your life like finishing school and getting your career. Don't worry, I can wait."

But Rafael only understood half of what she meant. It was true that Emily had a lot of things she wanted to do with her life, but she also had a destiny to fulfill. Plus, she had to give Rafael a clue. "Rafael, we could never be happy together. I'm really not worth waiting for."

Rafael continued to push her. "Then at least let me help you," he insisted. He takes her by the hand and continues, "Life is harder for you than it is for me. You have your classes at school, you work part-time at the bakery, you live alone, and your dad gives you a hard time with him being who he is, always pushing you around and trying to control everything. You need someone to take care of you."

Emily didn't like the way this was going. She pulls herself away and says, "I may not have it easy, but I am quite content and," she gets inside her house and behind her door. "I'm never going to marry you, Rafael. Never," and she closes the door between them.

Rafael began to blame himself, thinking he went a little overboard. He decided not to let it torment him. He grinned and sighed, figuring she would come around and that she just needed a little time.

Emily looks out the window, watching him leave. "Can you imagine," she asks herself, "Me, married to him?"

"It's all he ever talked about when I stayed at his house," said Avalon. "Whenever we were together, all he could talk about was how he planned on you guys getting married and having children."

"Yeah, well, it's never going to happen," Emily declared.

Avalon stops grooming herself. "Don't you like him?"

"I like him," Emily answered, "but only as a friend. I'm not in love with him the same way he's in love with me." She sighs and says softly, "There's only one person I've ever actually loved and that's-" then the sound of knocking on her door caught her attention. She opens it and sees Yugi on her doorstep. "Yugi, hi."

"Hi, Emily," he returned. "I saw you and Rafael talking. He wasn't giving you a hard time, was he?"

She chuckles and says, "A little bit, but it was nothing I couldn't handle." She began to feel better now that Yugi was here. She always liked it whenever he came to check up on her because it showed that he cared a lot about her.

Yugi got an idea. "I know you just got back, but do you want to go to the Secret Garden with me for a while? We could relax and get some air under our wings."

She smiles and says, "I would like that very much." So she locks up her house and follows Yugi.

After walking a couple of blocks down the street, they came to an alley and walked through it until they came to the Secret Garden, the heart of Millennia's Pure Valley. "Is it me or does this place seem a little different from when we were last here?" Yugi wondered, looking around.

Emily agreed. "It does seem to have changed a little." They were right. The pond was bigger and there was a waterfall next to it. The doors also had symbols printed on them so visitors would know which door led to which world.

They sat on the edge of the cliff looking down at the Garden. "So what was Rafael bugging you about this time?" Yugi asked Emily.

At first, she was afraid to tell him, but she inhaled deeply and said it straight out. "He was just making a bad impression as he shared his thoughts on us being together."

"Really," Yugi asked, concerned.

She nods and says, "Yugi, Rafael asked me to marry him."

Yugi's eyes widen, but he manages to keep calm and prevent himself from having an outburst. "He did," he asks calmly. "What did you tell him?"

She smiles and tells him, "I refused."

Yugi was relieved to hear that. He knew Rafael was crazy about Emily, but he also knew she didn't like him in the same way.

"He's just not the right man for me, Yugi," continued Emily. "Sure, he's nice and smart, but sometimes he can be a little overbearing; especially when it comes to the way he tries to get all charming." She sighs and explains, "You're the one I've ever actually really liked, Yugi, ever since we met."

That was understandable to Yugi. He had been friends with Emily long before Rafael had and they were quite close and fond of each other. It came to no surprise to Yugi that Emily was talking about him. "I'm glad you still feel that way."

"Nothing's ever going to change the way I feel about you, Yugi," Emily promised. "Besides, you and Rafael are like ice cream. You're chocolate and he's rocky road."

"Go on," Yugi insisted.

"The point is, while Rafael has a lot to give and I may like him, he can be a little too rich for me. The way he impresses me with gifts, treats me to fun activities, how he insists on doing so much for me without even be asked to or without even taking 'no' for an answer, it's a little more than I can bear. But you, Yugi, you give so much and you don't even have to try so hard. And I love that more. That's why I admire you more than Rafael."

Yugi smiles and asks, "So you'll choose plain old chocolate ice cream over rich and chunky rocky road anytime?"

"All the time," she replies. They chuckle together and sigh.

"You know," Yugi saw saying, "when I realized you and Max were trapped in another world after we found ourselves back home, I wanted to go back for you. But after finally being back home again, I was also curious to know how much I missed out on in my absence. When I saw how much time had slowed down for us, I figured maybe I had nothing to worry about and you would be back shortly after us. I mean, you and Max are strong and can take care of yourselves, but I couldn't stop thinking about you. So many mixed feelings were building up inside of me, from worrying about you to trusting you."

Emily understood and said, "It's all right. While I was in the Xiaolin world, all I could think about was how much I wanted to get back home again. I knew if I failed, Max and I would be trapped forever, never to escape. But when the world was in danger, I had to put those worries aside in order to save it and my friends who live in it." She clears her throat and asks, "Was that selfish of me?"

"No," Yugi answers. "You did the right thing. It was putting your worries aside that led you to fight for what was most important. When you did, you and Max and the rest of your friends back there achieved victory. Returning home wasn't worth fighting for. You made saving the friends you love and the world you came to consider another home worth fighting for. By doing so, you guys achieved what you were fighting for. That's why you and Max were able to return home."

She agrees and says, "And we'll always have a home in the other worlds because of the friends we have in the other worlds. Right now, I don't care where I am as long as I'm with you."

"Me too," Yugi says, placing his hand over hers.

"Still," Emily was saying, "in the end, it was because I loved my friends so much that I wanted to help them and protect them. I just couldn't leave them to suffer because they were my friends and their world was my home too. That meant I was just as responsible for helping to save it. Though I had a home and friends and family in my own world, I still loved the world I was currently in and my friends who lived in it. I wanted them to be safe and living in peace again. And it was also because I loved you so much that I couldn't wait to see you and the others again."

He nods and adds, "And it was your love that led you back to me. The same love that helped you save the Xiaolin world and the Xiaolin Dragons. You truly are the hero of love, Emily."

A light red hue stretched across her face. She and Yugi look out on the horizon again. Being together in this enchanted realm was like a dream for the both of them, only this was better than a dream. They distanced themselves from the edge and began dancing.

As they danced, Emily sang, _Dream by night, wish by day_

_Love begins this way_

_Loving starts when open hearts_

_Touch and stay_

_Sleep for now, dreaming's how_

_Lovers' lives are planned_

_Future songs and flying dreams_

_Hand in hand_

_Love, it seems, made flying dreams_

_So hearts could soar_

_Heaven-sent, these wings were meant_

_To prove once more_

_That love is the key_

Yugi takes his turn and sings,_ You and I touch the sky_

_The eagle and the dove_

_Nightingales, we keep our sails_

_Filled with love_

_And love it seems, made flying dreams_

_To bring you home to me_

After that last verse, Yugi and Emily unfold their wings and fly around the Secret Garden. They fly in rhythm as they dance to the song.

Yugi continues and sings, _Love, it seems, made flying dreams_

_So hearts could soar_

_Heaven-sent, these wings were meant _

_To prove once more_

_That love is the key_

Emily repeats the next verse and sings, _You and I touch the sky_

_The eagle and the dove_

_Nightingales, we keep our sails_

_Filled with love_

_Ever strong, our future song_

_To sing, it must be free_

Together, they sing, _Every part is from the heart_

_And love is still the key_

_And love, it seems, made flying dreams_

_To bring you home to me_

Yugi and Emily place their palms together and lean their heads on each other's. As they come down, they put their wings together and sigh.

"Hey," Emily said softly. "Let's go home," she suggested.

Yugi liked the sound of that. They passed through the door to their world and wound up back in front of their houses.

"Thanks for taking me out, Yugi," Emily said politely. "It's nice to be able to get out and stretch my wings again. I needed this."

"You're welcome. I figured you would after not being able to use your powers for a long time."

She giggles and agrees. She also comes up with a suggestion. "I have an idea. Why don't we get the gang together this weekend and have a picnic in the Secret Garden?"

"Good idea," Yugi replied. "It'll be a great opportunity to show everybody the Garden and how we go to the other worlds." Of course, they would just be having a picnic while they were there. They wouldn't be planning on taking their friends to the other worlds right away. Still, Yugi and Emily agreed to call their friends and make arrangements.

Before making any calls, Emily decided to sit down and relax herself. "It's good to be home," she said, sighing contentedly.

Her calico kitten joined her. "I'm glad you're back," she finally said. "I always miss you when you're gone."

"I've missed you too," Emily said, petting her. "I've missed my kitchen and baking treats for my friends." She went to her room and lied on her back in her bed. "I've missed my bedroom and all of my decorations." She looked at the picture of her mother on her dresser. "I'm just so happy to finally be home." When she was done, she took out her cell phone and went through her contacts, looking for Téa's phone number. She called her and told her about going on a picnic and asked her if she wanted to come along. There was no way Téa could say 'no' after not seeing her best friend for a long time. Emily was happy to hear that. She also asked Téa if she wanted to come over and help bake sweets. Téa said 'yes' and decided to come over on Friday.

Emily remembered that she didn't have a lot of food in her kitchen after packing most of it with her before she left. Knowing that, she decided to go grocery shopping. Hopefully after completing this errand, she would finally be able to relax in her home.


	4. Picnic Party

Picnic Party

The heroes spent the rest of the week relaxing as well as getting back to their usual routines. They went back to their regular jobs, attending their classes, and exploring the city.

It was now Saturday morning and everyone was making preparations for this afternoon's picnic. Joey was in his kitchen making omelettes for the picnic. He cracked a few eggs and began mixing them together. He remembered that his friends liked their omelettes differently, so he waited before adding other ingredients like cheese, peppers, onions, spinach, and mushrooms.

Tristan was with him helping him get ready. "We have to get going soon, Joey."

"Yeah, yeah," Joey said, mixing his eggs. "I'm almost done."

"You sure you don't need any help?" Tristan offered.

"Nope," the blonde replied. "Omelettes are one of the many things I'm good at making."

Tristan shrugged and said, "All right. Just don't burn yourself."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," he assured him. But just as Joey poured the eggs into the frying pan, it sizzled. He yelped and cried, "I forgot to add butter!" Quickly, he grabbed another frying pan and set it on the stove. It would take time for it to heat up, so he tended to the rest of his food on the table. There was rice, dumplings, fried shrimp, and fried chicken. Tristan was about to sneak a bite, but Joey smacked his hand. "Wait until we get to the picnic site."

"Where are we going, anyway?" Tristan asked, curious.

"I told you, it's a surprise," Joey answered. He added a slice of butter to the frying pan. As it melted, Joey put in the eggs and added some spinach and mushrooms. "This'll be for Emily since she doesn't like cheese or peppers. I'll add those to the next helping for the others." So he made the omelettes as planned. He folded them up, cut them into small helpings, and packed them with the rest of his lunch trays. Now he and Tristan could head out.

Emily was at her house baking desserts with Téa. Together, the girls made brownies, cookies, muffins, and macarons. They met up with Yugi, who was carrying a cooler filled with bottled water and cans of soda and lemonade. Emily decided to help him carry it so it wouldn't hold him down.

The group met up at the square. They still had to wait for a few more friends before they could get to the site. Max showed up on cue, carrying a lunch box. Kaiba and Mokuba showed up too with their own personal lunches. Duke arrived too and was carrying a parcel full of bread and meat for making sandwiches.

"All right, we're all here," said Yugi. "Now we can get to the picnic site."

"This isn't it?" Duke asked.

"No, this is where we agreed to meet," said Emily. "And now that we're here, we can get to the site. Just follow us."

Everyone was about to pick up their supplies and head out until they heard Rafael's voice. They saw him coming by with Alister and Valon. "Hey, guys," said Rafael. "What's all this?"

"We're going on a picnic," said Max.

"And you didn't invite us," Valon asked. "No fair."

"You can come if you want to," Joey offered. "It'd be great to have more friends."

Alister kindly refused. "No, that's okay. We have things we need to do anyway. Since it's the weekend, we might as well get our errands done. We just thought we'd stop by and say 'hi' since we saw you."

Emily saw that Yugi was struggling with the cooler again and helped him out. "Here, let me do that," she insisted.

"It's okay, really," Yugi told her. Although he appreciated her help, he didn't want to make it seem like he was pushing her.

"Don't be silly," said Emily. "You know with my extra strength, I can carry it without difficulty."

Rafael chuckles and says, "Emily, you don't have to be so nice to him all the time." He approaches her and places his arm over her shoulder. "After all, my dear, you are meant to be my wife, remember?"

All of her friends carried expressions of shock and disgust, hoping it wasn't true.

"Excuse me," Emily snapped, freeing herself, "but I thought I told you 'no' already!" She couldn't believe he was trying to pull off this routine again. "Come on, I'm too young to think about marriage."

"I know, I know," said Rafael. "You told me before, you're just not ready." He tries to embrace her again, but she slips away and approaches Yugi.

"You see, Yugi's the one I love."

Rafael didn't want to believe her. He laughed and told her, "You have quite a sense of humor."

"It's not a joke," Yugi said, defending her.

"You're just saying that because you're jealous and don't want us to be together," Rafael teased.

"Back off," Max barked. "Emily is not interested in you."

"Excuse me, witch," Rafael retorted, "butt out!"

"Hey, hey, hey, knock it off," Joey said, trying to get between them.

Kaiba sighs and says, "I've had enough of this."

Duke agrees and picks up his parcel. "Let's go," he told his friends. The others pick up their supplies and get moving. Alister and Valon apologize and urge Rafael away, scolding him for his behavior.

Yugi, Joey, Emily, and Kaiba led their friends down an alley. At first, they didn't understand why they were passing through here, but they continued to follow. Their confusion turned into awe as they came to the Secret Garden. "Everyone, welcome to the Secret Garden," Yugi announced to his friends.

Everyone was looking around in wonder and delight. "This place is amazing," said Téa. "Is this the Secret Garden you guys have told us about?"

Emily nods and explains, "This Garden is the heart of the Pure Valley, a paradise created by the Great Goddess herself. It's also a sanctuary meant to protect its dwellers from forces of evil. It's a world of its own connected to other worlds."

"Like the Garden of Eden?" Téa wondered.

"Not quite," said Emily. "We can come and go here as we please if we need a place to escape to for safety and comfort. The ground is fertile enough to produce healthy plants, the water is clean enough to drink and even swim in, and we can eat any of the food we want to."

"That's right," Joey was saying. "There's no Forbidden Fruit."

"And if you want to go to any of the other worlds, just simply pass through the doors you see on that cliff," Yugi said, pointing to the rocky wall nearby.

"There'll be plenty of time to see those worlds," Kaiba promised. "In the meantime, feel free to explore this place while we get things set up." So everyone decided to explore. Mokuba went to the lake. He cupped some water into his hands and drank it, finding it refreshing. He began thinking about Rebecca too, wanting to bring her to this wonderful place.

Emily showed Téa the many flowerbeds in the fields. There were lilies, marigolds, daisies, violets, periwinkles, forget-me-nots, chrysanthemums, carnations, delphiniums, tulips, buttercups, daffodils, orchids, dandelions, tiger lilies, almost every known flower that ever existed. There was even a bed full of Gracedia flowers, a plant that only existed in the Pokémon world. This was amazing to the girls. At the same time, it was mysterious to Emily because she didn't see these flowers the first time she came here. She wondered, did these arrive after her journey in the Pokémon world?

Joey was picking some fruit from the trees and shrubs for the picnic. While he did, he noticed that some of the fruits looked exactly like the berries he saw from the Pokémon world, which was unusual, because the trees didn't produce these berries before. The heroes were correct when they assumed that the Garden was changing. Was it going to bring new surprises every time they went to a new world? If that was the case, Joey had a feeling he was going to like it. Joey picked an Oran berry. "I wonder if I can eat this," he asked himself. He had to ask because he had seen many Pokémon eat these kinds of berries and he wanted to make sure it was safe for humans to eat too. He shrugged and took a bite. He found it tasty and carried mixed flavors of sweetness and tang like oranges. At that moment, Joey remembered that some cuisines from the Pokémon world were made with the same berries to give the food extra flavor. He figured it wouldn't hurt to try it himself.

Duke unfolded a placemat everyone could sit on. Yugi also brought paper plates and plastic eating utensils. Emily brought along some garbage bags so everyone wouldn't have to litter on the grounds of the Garden. When the table was set, everyone was called over to begin lunch.

There was a great assortment of food. There was sliced chicken, beef, turkey, ham, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and condiments for the sandwiches. Joey brought his trays of appetizers, Yugi opened the cooler for drinks, and Emily and Téa brought their desserts. While everyone was enjoying their shared goods, Max and the Kaiba brothers were enjoying their own lunches. When they finished, they didn't mind helping themselves to a few of the goods their friends made.

Joey handed Emily the omelette he made for her. "Here, Em, this one's for you. It's got spinach and mushrooms."

"Thank you, Joey," Emily said appreciatively. She was glad that Joey remembered how she liked her omelette. It was simple, but he didn't mind. "It's delicious. Thanks."

Yugi agreed. "You're a good cook, Joey,"

"Yeah, where'd you learn?" Duke asked.

"It's one of the things I've had to learn to do at young age since…" he was silent for a minute, then replied, "you understand. Plus, I've put it to good use during our Pokémon journey."

Kaiba drank from his flask and said, "You may be good, but I've had better."

Joey groaned and said, "Just be glad I haven't made you sick."

Kaiba was thankful and though he wouldn't admit it, he did agree that his friends had some culinary talent. He took a bite from one of the blueberry muffins Emily made. Curious, he wondered, "Briar, did you make these muffins with the blueberries in this Garden?"

"Yeah, do you like it?" she asked.

"It's fascinating," he answered. "The best I've ever tasted."

"Maybe it's so delicious because it was made from the fruit here," Téa wondered. "Even if it wasn't, it'd still be just as good. You're a great baker all the same, Emily," she said, trying not to hurt her feelings.

Emily wasn't offended at all. "Thanks, Téa, and I've got some new ideas for recipes. I've been thinking about brownies made with peanut butter. I also have an idea for brownies made with hints of mint or green tea or pumpkin spice, or maybe brownies made with marshmallows and walnuts, or maybe cherries and bananas."

"Those sound like good ideas," said Joey.

Tristan agreed. "When you make those, can we be your taste testers?"

She smiled and said, "Of course."

Tristan got an amusing idea. He takes a can of soda from the cooler and shakes it. "Hey, Duke, thirsty?" he asked, offering him the can.

"Oh, thanks," he says appreciatively, taking it from him. Just as he pops it open, soda splashes all over his hand and even on his face. All of his friends laugh. "Oh, very funny," Duke says sarcastically. He gets up and heads to the pond to wash up.

Joey saw Max eating some of his omelettes. "How do you like it?" he asked. Max faced him as she chewed her food. "I'm only asking if you like the taste."

She swallowed her food and replied, "Can you just let me eat? It's hard for me to when you're invading my personal space and bugging me with your questions. Besides, I've eaten better omelettes than this."

Joey was appalled. He picked up his parcel and stormed off in anger. "Thanks for nothing!" he shouted.

Yugi frowned at Max. "That was inconsiderate of you. You could've shown more appreciation. He made his food to share with us and you hurt his feelings."

"I was just being honest in my response," Max stated.

"Joey worked hard on making that even for you," Téa snapped. "He tries so hard for you, Max, because he cares about you and thinks of you as a special friend."

Emily agrees and tells her, "You should really be more considerate about his feelings."

As Joey continued to march off, he grumbled to himself, "I don't believe the nerve of that girl. I'll never make her lunch again. I try, but I get no respect." Without paying attention to where he was going, Joey slipped and tumbled into the flowerbeds. He groaned of frustration and figured, "This would've been a good day to stay in bed."

Max found him and helped him up. "That's what you get for not paying attention," she scolded.

"Max?" he asked.

"Sorry about earlier, Joey," she said sincerely. "I just felt a little annoyed."

He grins and says, "Forget it. Your comments aren't something I'm not used to. I shouldn't have lost it for no reason like that."

Max knew, but she didn't mind. This was just one of the many ways she and Joey showed their friendship towards each other. They weren't lovers, but they still liked each other. They went back to their friends to enjoy the rest of the picnic.

After everyone finished eating, they packed their supplies and followed the heroes home. Téa, Tristan, Duke, and Mokuba thanked everyone for bringing them to this wonderful site and were looking forward to coming back.


	5. Love is in the air with a Bitter Bouquet

Love is in the air with a Bitter Bouquet

A couple of weeks passed for the heroes. While they were happy to get back into their usual routines of working and studying, they also felt a hint of boredom. It wouldn't last, however. Emily alerted her friends that a door to a new world had suddenly appeared. Yugi, Joey, and Kaiba were delighted to hear the news and began looking forward to their new adventure.

After packing their supplies, the heroes met up in the Secret Garden. Max decided to come along and join them. Before their adventure could begin, Millennia had to speak to her heroes, so Emily released the Millennium Star from her heart.

"Greetings, my heroes," she greeted. "I see that you are eager to begin your next mission."

"We sure are," said Joey. "Although you did leave us with an unexpected twist the last time a door to a new world appeared."

"But it's all right now," Emily insisted. "Max and I still managed to get home safely as well as learn important lessons."

Millennia was pleased to hear that. "Yes, you are taking into account all I have warned you about. For every new world you will travel, your journey will become harder as you are tested in every way. There is no greater challenge than a test of character."

"Is that what awaits us in the new world?" Yugi asked.

"It is," the Great Goddess answered. "The weight of your loyalty to one another will be tested. You will be challenged to prove your feelings for one another. I understand you have faced this challenge in many different ways in the past, but this will bring new surprises. You will discover secrets that will reveal more about who you are; qualities you never knew before. Whether or not it will impact your friendship will be for you to decide."

"You want us to be strong," said Kaiba. "We may discover things that may come as a disturbing shock."

"Whatever we may find out, I won't let anything change my feelings towards my friends," said Joey.

Millennia smiles and says, "Humans, so complex, yet so unique for their ever-changing hearts. It never ceases to surprise me. Perhaps it is because I am not human that I will never understand the passions of the heart. No matter how long I have lived in the hearts of my children and shared their feelings and thoughts, no matter how long I have observed humans, no matter how much time I have spent living among them, I will always learn something new."

"You don't have to be human to understand," Emily insisted. "Even we amaze ourselves. Even we hardly understand the brilliant wonders of the heart, why we feel and for what cause."

"But it's true," Yugi was saying, "A person's heart is always changing. No one stays the same forever."

"But no matter how much we change, we'll always be our own person; true to ourselves," said Emily.

"Being your own person is also the greatest gift in the world that a person can give," said the Great Goddess. "It is also a great miracle and a great mystery just like life itself. And speaking of gifts, I have a small gift to help you in the new world." She uses her magic to create new tools for the heroes. Red, yellow, and blue lights shine in the boys' hands and their tools materialize in their palms. In Kaiba's hand is a red wand with a golden star on one end. In the center of the star is the Egyptian insignia for wisdom. A blue wand materializes in Yugi's hand. In the center of the golden star on the end is the Egyptian insignia for courage. Joey gets a yellow wand with the Egyptian insignia for friendship in the center of the gold star.

"These transformation wands will allow you to transform into fellow warriors of those you will be joining to save their world," the Great Goddess explained. "All you have to do is cry out the name of the element you represent."

"What about me and Max?" Emily wondered.

"You will be able to transform as well by using the Millennium Star and the Cobalt Star shards in a new way," she explained.

"Will it be enough?" Max asked, looking at the shards below her neck.

"You need not be concerned," Millennia assured her. "With those few shards, you will have enough power to transform and the more shards you acquire, your power will reach a new peak. The Dark Lord and I are becoming stronger as you take your journeys."

"What will happen when all the shards have been collected?" Kaiba asked.

"I am afraid it is too soon for you to be provided that information," said Millennia. "Trust me when I say it is for your own good that you do not know at this time."

Joey shrugs and says, "We'll take your word for it." He figured that maybe he and his friends were better off not knowing until they were ready. Even the others agreed not to let it torment them. With that being settled, the group passes through the door to the new world.

Everyone looked around and found out that they had been transported inside a greenhouse. They also noticed that their clothes had changed once again. The girls were wearing schoolgirl sailor uniforms and the boys were wearing dark pants and black jackets over their shirts.

"I guess we're going to have to be dressed in the appropriate attire for each new world we'll be sent to," Yugi assumed.

"Hey," Kaiba called to his friends. "Millennia said that we'll be joining the heroes of this world on our mission to find the next Cobalt Star shard. Do any of you guys have any idea who they are?"

Joey looks at his wand. "I think I have an idea."

Their suspicions were confirmed when they saw a familiar couple admiring the flowers. The girl was a fourteen-year-old junior high school student with blue eyes and her dark blonde hair tied up in buns. Her name was Serena. Next to her was her boyfriend, Darien, a high school student with short black hair and dark blue eyes.

It didn't take long for Yugi and his friends to discover that they had been sent to the world of the Sailor Scouts. Emily became excited as she saw her favorite superhero as a child. Quietly, she expressed her enthusiasm. "I can't believe it," she whispered with glee. "We're going to be working with Sailor Moon and the Sailor Scouts!" As a child, Emily loved Sailor Moon and always imagined being a Sailor Scout. Even Joey and Yugi had watched the show many times.

"Take it easy, Briar," Kaiba warned her.

Joey agreed. "You start going fangirl on us and everyone will think you're crazy."

Then the thought occurred to Yugi. He remembered that the gym leaders in the world of Pokémon knew about him and his friends and their reputations as duelists. Would the Sailor Scouts know too?

There would be time to consider that later. Standing on another side of the aisle Serena and Darien were in, the rest of the Sailor Scouts were watching them have a romantic moment. There was Raye, a shrine maiden with immense spiritual power. She had dark violet hair, dark violet eyes, and red star-shaped earrings. On her shoulders was a little girl named Rini. She had light pink hair tied up like rabbit ears and her eyes were red like a rose. Behind Raye was Amy, a girl with dark blue hair above her shoulders and eyes as blue as the ocean itself. She was considered the voice of reason of the Sailor Scouts because of her brilliant intelligence and commitment to her studies. On Raye's left was Lita, the tallest of the team and a brilliant fighter skilled in martial arts. Lita also had a talent for cooking and always made delicious food for herself and her friends. She had dark brown hair tied back with green beads, rose earrings, and eyes as green as the leaves on a tree. The last of the girls was Mina, a girl who looked identical to Serena, except her hair was a lighter color and was tied back with a red ribbon and her eyes were a different shade of blue. Mina was considered the peacemaker of the team.

As Emily identified the girls to her friends, Kaiba groaned and called her a nerd for her knowledge. Suddenly, a shrill shriek surprised the heroes. Serena had her back against the wall, catching her breath after facing a terrible scare. Her friends had sabotaged her romantic moment with Darien when they placed a leaf near her face with a caterpillar hanging from it. The girls were laughing hysterically, but Serena promised them that they would pay for their prank.

Emily helped Serena up. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm okay," she insisted. "I just-" she stopped herself as she looked at Emily. "Hey, do I know you?"

Emily wasn't sure how to answer. "Maybe? Maybe not? The funny thing is, I was just about to ask you the exact same thing."

"Really," Serena asked. "Well, maybe we should introduce ourselves just to be sure. I'm Serena."

"I'm Emily," she said, shaking Serena's hand. "Emily Briar."

"Did you say your name is Emily Briar?" Mina asked.

"I knew I heard that name before," said Lita.

Amy recognized her too. "She's one of the champions of Duel Monsters!"

"Unreal!" gasped Raye.

Serena couldn't believe it either. She had watched the Duel Monsters card game being played on television many times before and knew all about the champions. Emily was her favorite duelist. "Emily Briar, I am your biggest fan," Serena squealed with glee. "And I must say, it is an honor to be in the presence of the Rainbow Duelist. You duel with grace and style and your cards have great beauty and are just the best."

Emily was flattered. She wanted to show the same expressions to Serena, but she took her friends' warning into account. It would be unwise to say that Emily knew Serena was Sailor Moon at this time. Instead, she said, "Well if you like that, then you're going to love to meet the rest of my friends."

When the boys came by, the girls became ecstatic. They were meeting their favorite duelists in the flesh. As everyone was introducing each other, Serena invited Darien to join in on the introductions, but noticed he wasn't present. Joey looked around and saw that Max wasn't around either.

Max and Darien both stepped outside. They needed to get away from the commotion and relax. "It's so nice here," Darien said quietly. "The flowers smell so nice. The fountain's so soothing. I never noticed how the flowers would make me feel so calm."

Max heard him and agreed. "Me neither."

Darien gasped as he heard her voice. "Sorry, I didn't realize you were here."

Max forgave him. "I get this reaction all the time. Hey, it's Darien, right? I heard it from inside. I don't suppose you would know who I am."

Darien did know. "You're that famous celebrity Max. You've sold a lot of albums with great music and you're also an amazing duelist. They say Seto Kaiba taught you."

"Do you believe every rumor about me?" Max asked, teasing him. "Regardless, I was taught from the best. But, yes, Kaiba did give me a few tips."

Suddenly, they both felt a disturbing chill, as if being warned that something was about to happen. At that moment, flower petals began falling from the sky like snowflakes. Serena saw it and began dancing around, thinking it was wonderful. Suddenly, Max's Cobalt Star shards began reacting. Emily sensed it too. _Already,_ she wondered. This was a first because they never encountered a Cobalt Star shard the moment they came to another world.

A young man was standing several feet away from the others. He had short gold hair and brown eyes and was dressed in a black shirt and beige pants. "Hey," he called to Darien, "it's been a long time, Darien, too long."

"Are you friends?" Serena asked Darien. He didn't know how to answer. This young man seemed to know him, but Darien had no idea who he was.

Max did, however, and the moment she saw him, she felt like her world was shifting and her heart had skipped a beat. She distanced herself from the others and leaned against the lamppost as she was breathing shakily.

Joey saw this and was concerned. "Max, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she insisted.

He sets his hands over her cheeks. "Are you sure? You look sick."

"It's probably just all these aromas," she lied, trying to relax. "I'll be fine," she promised, and her breathing became even again.

The young man's name was Fiore. He began approaching Darien, trying to help him remember their friendship and the pact they made. "I never forgot. It took me a long time, but I kept my promise. I promised to return with flowers for you and I finally found the flower worthy of our friendship." Fiore held Darien's hands in his and it was making Serena feel uneasy. "It's still the most beautiful gift anyone has ever given me, Darien."

Darien still couldn't figure out who this guy was. "I'm sorry, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You must remember," Fiore insisted. "I promised you, Darien."

Serena had enough and got between the two boys, trying to bring them apart. Fiore frowned bitterly and roughly pushed her to the ground. He took notice of Emily and was about to attack her too, but when he saw Max, he stopped himself. He decided to retreat for the moment.

"Coward!" Raye shouted to him. "Come back here!"

"You should be ashamed," Lita scolded. "It's not right to push people!"

"No one's going to prevent me from keeping my promise," Fiore decreed. "No one!" A blizzard of flower petals began blowing towards everyone. Through the flower storm, they all saw that Fiore had mysteriously disappeared.

"Who was that freak?" Kaiba asked.

"Where did he come from?" Yugi asked.

After listening to Fiore mention a promise, Darien was finally starting to remember. He knew a friend from his childhood who promised to return with the perfect flower that would symbolize their friendship. Fiore was that friend from long ago. "That's Fiore," he muttered to himself.

Max heard him and whispered, "It has to be."

Joey and Serena were even more concerned. "What's going on?" They asked in unison.


	6. Two Legendary Princesses

Two Legendary Princesses

That evening, Yugi and his friends decided to stay with the girls at Raye's house. Serena saw that her new friends needed a place to stay for the night, so she invited them over as guests. It would also give the groups more time to get to know each other.

Serena and Mina also brought along their cats Luna and Artemis. They weren't ordinary housecats. Luna and Artemis were intelligent felines from the moon obligated to guide and protect the Sailor Scouts. They didn't mind the company, but the instant Yugi and his friends arrived, already the cats saw how familiar they looked. The only way to confirm their suspicions was to get to know their new friends.

"We're sorry to have to burden you," Emily told Serena.

"Not at all," she insisted. "Friends are always welcome; especially if they're famous duelists."

"Not to mention you guys are pretty hunky," Lita complimented. Her friends groaned, remembering how she would always act this way around cute boys. Yugi, Joey, and Kaiba didn't mind. They were used to getting this demeanor from fangirls.

Emily placed her hand over Luna and began gently stroking her fur. "You must be Luna. I'm pleased to meet you." She gives Artemis the same greeting and begins petting him as well. As they felt her fingers, they felt her power and gasped.

Mina smiled. "You must really like cats, Emily."

"I do," she replied. "They're so sweet and make good friends."

"That's nice of you to say, Emily," said Luna unexpectedly. "But let me apologize in advance in case this comes a shock to you and your friends."

It did come as a shock. "You can talk?" Kaiba asked.

"Yes," Artemis answered, "quite well."

Even the girls were shocked. "Oh, my, Luna and Artemis don't normally talk to anyone else besides us," gasped Amy.

"They must see something special in you guys," Raye assumed. "As though you were from another world or something."

Yugi chuckled nervously and replied, "Actually, Raye, we are."

"You are?" Serena asked. "What do you mean you are?"

"He means as he says, Serena," Artemis was saying, "Yugi and his friends are from another world."

Serena didn't take it serious. "Another world? Quit messing with me. Besides, how would you guys know?"

"We know because like you, Emily has a gift," Luna was explaining, "a gift that makes her a princess chosen by destiny."

Seeing the girls look confused, Emily spoke up and assumed, "I think they're talking about my Millennium Star."

"Oh. What's the Millennium Star?" Serena asked.

That was enough to justify the cats' suspicions. "We knew the time would come for us to tell you girls this story," Luna was saying, "And now that Yugi and his friends are here, you're ready." She clears her throat and begins the story. "A long time ago, before the Silver Millennium, there existed two divine deities of light and darkness. Millennia was a goddess who wanted to fill the earth with her light of purity and ensure that mankind would live in peace and harmony. Cobalt was an evil and wicked lord whose dark power brought despair and hatred among humans. Because of their differences in their powers and ideals, the Great Goddess and the Dark Lord fought against each other. The celestial forces knew that if they continued to rage war against each other, the forces of the universe would engulf the earth as well as the rest of the planets, so the stars used their celestial powers to contain the powers of the Gods by forcing them to become stars like them."

"The war still continued on Earth as Millennials and Cobaltites continued to fight with each other on behalf of the deities they served," continued Artemis. "But as time passed, people started to forget about the Great Goddess and the Dark Lord, until they day the Stars fell down to Earth and came to Egypt. The Egyptian kingdom was under the rule and protection of a group of heroes known as the Children of Millennia." Artemis faces Yugi and his friends directly and tells the girls, "They are the ancestors of Yugi and his friends."

The girls were awestruck at the story. This explained why Artemis and Luna were comfortable talking around Yugi and his friends and how they knew so much about their history.

Luna continues the story. "The Battle of the Gods began again in the age of the Shadow Games. Although the Children of Millennia were able to save the world from destruction, their kingdom was on the brink of ruin. Everyone had to start over again and begin new lives. The pharaoh and queen had a daughter. To save their child, the queen used the Millennium Star to send her away to begin a new life where she could live happily. She wished the same for the rest of her friends. But she also knew there would come a time when the world would need Millennia's warriors once again, so she prayed for everyone to be reborn in a time when they would meet and begin their destinies and still be able to live happily."

Emily spoke up and revealed the fact to the girls. "This may come as a bigger shock to you guys, but…" she paused, then confessed, "I'm that princess. I inherited the Millennium Star from my mother, Queen Mystery, just like how Serena inherited the Silver Crystal from her mother, Queen Serenity."

"Fascinating," gasped Amy.

"Wait a minute, back up," Serena cried. "You guys know about Queen Serenity and the Silver Millennium?"

"Yes," said Emily. "It's one of my favorite stories. The Moon Kingdom was under the rule of the graceful and majestic Queen Serenity. She was raising her daughter, Princess Serena, to follow in her footsteps. Serena's court was also made up of the princesses of their respective planets. All was peaceful until that time of peace was disrupted when an evil army led an attack on the Moon Kingdom. To save her people and her daughter, Queen Serenity used the Silver Crystal to stop the evil army and send everyone to Earth to begin new lives. Queen Serenity also knew there would come a time when Serena and her court would awaken to face their destinies, but she still prayed for them to live happily."

"It seems the history of the Silver Millennium and the age of the Shadow Games aren't so different from each other," said Yugi.

Serena spoke up and wondered, "Do you think maybe if the two queens met, they would have been very good friends?"

Emily liked the thought. "Maybe, since we're starting to be good friends."

"I've read stories about the history of the Shadow Games," said Amy. "The world was never the same after its calamity almost destroyed everything. Magic was lost and monsters were never seen again."

"The Gods wanted it to be that way," Yugi was explaining. "They came to an agreement that the world had to be split and everyone would have their own place as they would begin anew. Tell me, have you guys heard of Duel Monsters and Pokémon?"

"We sure have," said Lita. "They're popular games."

"They actually existed long ago," said Amy. "Sorcerers conjured Duel Monsters to do their bidding, but couldn't control them, so they were sealed in stone. But everyone says that the Shadow Games were just pure fantasy and childish stories. Pokémon used to be around too, but scholars these days say they're extinct."

"Pokémon aren't extinct," said Kaiba. "They say that in our world too, but the truth is, they live in a world apart from ours and yours. In our world, the Duel Monsters card game wasn't just a game. The magic of the Shadow Games was unleashed into our world, bringing the game we love to life and having us battle with the ultimate stakes. But that's over now. Our worlds are connected by their shared histories of the events that came before."

"Also, we're here on a mission," Joey was saying. "The Great Goddess has been sending us to different worlds to find and gather the shards of the Cobalt Star. We believe there may be one here in your world."

"We thought as much," said Luna. She and Artemis turn away and have a private discussion. "For a Cobalt Star shard to be here in this world, there's no other explanation for Millennia's warriors to be here. If that's the case, this could be our toughest battle yet."

"What do you think, Luna?" Artemis asked.

"There's no choice," she answered. "The Sailor Scouts and the Heroes of Millennia must unite and work together against this new threat."

"I agree," said Artemis. "We'll need their help."

All of the great lessons everyone learned and shared were fascinating. Serena was curious and asked Emily, "So, Emily, I guess you and I have something new in common already, don't we?"

"Yes, Serena," Emily replied.

"What kinds of powers do you get from the Millennium Star?"

"Well, I have wings and can fly, I can talk to animals and understand what they say, I can breathe underwater, touch fire without getting burned, purify foul substances, cast magic-, oh, and one more thing. I have a schedule to keep. Is it a full moon tonight?"

Raye checked the calendar. "It is. Why?"

"Come and see," Emily said and walked outside. Her friends followed her.

"She's getting ready to release the Millennium Star," Yugi was telling everyone. "Every night of the full moon, she must release the Millennium Star from her heart. They say that when it returns to the Heavens, it takes in the light of the moon to restore its energy because it's a star of light and the night of the full moon is the brightest. Also, it becomes a wishing star for the remainder of the night. If you make your wish on the Millennium Star, the Great Goddess will hear your wish and grant it."

"Will it really?" Serena asked.

"Yes, but don't make your wish unless you're certain it's what you really want," Kaiba warned. "The Millennium Star will only grant you one wish. Once done, it can't be undone." He turns around to face the girls, "So I advise you not to make your wish tonight or in the future; not until you know what to wish for and decide it's what you truly want."

Listening to his words, the girls agree not to make a wish on the Millennium Star. They watch as Emily releases the Millennium Star from her heart and sends it to the Heavens. She also falls back, but Yugi manages to catch her. "She'll be fine," he assured everyone. "After releasing the Millennium Star, she gets plunged into a deep sleep. She'll wake up once the Millennium Star goes back inside her heart."

The girls sighed of relief. "This is one fascinating night," said Amy, "after all the things we've learned from our new friends." The others agreed that this was wonderful.


	7. A Rose is a Rose a Friend is a Friend

A Rose is a Rose; a Friend is a Friend

Later than night, there was a news report about a planet nearing Earth's orbit. It sounded like a force that spelled possible danger. The cats had already picked up some information about the coming planet on the computer. Their calculations estimated that the planet was six hundred meters long and it was solid stone on the outside, but hollow on the inside as though it was some kind of capsule. It also carried a plant reading. There wasn't any further information at this time.

Rather than join her friends, Serena continued thinking about Darien and Fiore. "There' just some kind of connection between those two."

Joey shared the same concerns. "Darien and that guy we met? Max seems to know him too. I noticed her behavior when we first met him. What'd she say his name was? Fiore?"

Kaiba scoffed. "Well, I think that guy was just being a creep."

Mina gave it some thought. "Maybe Serena's right. There did seem to be a connection between Darien and that guy."

After swallowing a bite of her pizza, Lita asked Serena, "Serena, did Darien mention this guy?"

"No, he doesn't talk about his past," she answered. "Says it's too lonely." While the other girls began talking, Serena continued to think about Darien. She remembered him telling her about how his parents died in an accident and he became an orphan at young age. He grew up all alone, but when he started to develop feelings for Serena, he began to forget his loneliness. Serena promised Darien she would always be there for him because they were family to each other.

Joey was thinking about Max, wondering what her connection was with Fiore. He stepped outside for a while to relax. Suddenly, he saw a familiar figure walking by. Keeping a safe distance, Joey cautiously followed.

Joey turned the corner and silently gasped as he saw Fiore standing nearby. _It's that Fiore guy_. Fiore turned back, feeling someone watching him. Joey concealed himself further behind the building. _This is stupid_, Joey thought to himself. _What am I hiding for? I haven't done anything._ Joey peeked from the side and saw that Fiore wasn't standing there anymore. He walked from the corner and inspected the spot where Fiore was standing.

He looked down and saw a rose. To Joey, this was unusual because a red rose was the trademark of Tuxedo Mask, and he only appeared whenever Sailor Moon and the Sailor Scouts were in trouble and needed help. Joey knelt down to pick up the rose, but as he tried to grasp the stem, he pricked his finger against one of the thorns. He yelped in pain and cursed himself. "What'd I do that for? Well, that's what I get for being nosy, I guess." He sat down with his back against the tree and saw blood seeping out from the cut on his fingertip.

_The only reason why my friends and I are here is to find and gather the shards of the Cobalt Star,_ Joey thought to himself. _It doesn't have to be us, though. Max could find them on her own. _Then he remembered Emily being asked the same question when she was in the Xiaolin world. _Maybe that's not the real reason why we go to the other worlds. But then, what is? What other purpose would any of us have for being here? _Before he could think of an answer, he saw Max kneeling in front of him.

She inspected the cut on his fingertip. "How'd you prick your finger, clumsy?" Joey couldn't believe it. He always knew Max's senses were keen, but it was almost like she was drawn to the scent of his blood. But then, she'd have to have a sense of smell as powerful as a dog's. "Too bad Emily's not here. She's the one who knows healing magic." Max takes a lavender piece of fabric embroidered with silver stars and places it between her teeth as she tears a piece off. Joey gasped at what she did. "What's wrong?"

"You tore that handkerchief," he snapped, "the one I gave to you as a present!"

"I'm putting it to good use," she protested, wrapping it around his finger. "Besides, it's just a piece of fabric." She looked around and asked, "So, anyone else here or are you alone?"

"Huh, what do you mean?" Joey wondered.

"Nothing," she lied. "Forget I asked."

But Joey could see right through her. "You came here looking for that Fiore guy, didn't you?"

"What?" Max asked.

"Hah, I knew it," said Joey.

"Oh, shut up," Max barked. "Hold still so I can do this." And she continued to tie the fabric around his finger.

This was enough to confirm his suspicions. _I knew it,_ he thought to himself. _Max and Fiore share some kind of connection._ He became saddened as his thoughts broadened. _There's no place for me in Max's heart, I know that. But I can't help how I feel about her. _Before Max and Joey became friends, when he just heard about her career, Joey got a crush on Max like all the other fanboys did. He tried to impress her and get her to become interested in him, but his efforts were in vain. Then when all of those adventures began, his feelings for Max changed from childish romanticism to pure love. He started to care about her more than he ever had and he began to prove his feelings for her by reaching out as a friend she deserved. Even today, Joey's feelings for Max are still pure.

Max listened to Joey's thoughts as she tied the fabric in a knot to keep it secure. She understood Joey's feeling for her, but she did not love him in the same way. He was a good friend, but she admitted to herself that he was right and had no place in her heart. Because of that, Max felt sorry for him. She finally finished and told him, "There, you're good to go. Let's get you back to the others."

Joey got on his feet and looked down at the fabric wrapped around his finger. "Oh, Max," he whispered silently. He saw her walking ahead and hurried to join her.

From the shadows, Fiore was watching them. "There she is again. There's just something about Max that makes me so distracted. I know she's a fellow servant to the Dark Lord because of her Cobalt Star shards, but something inside me is telling me there's something else entirely about her." He began thinking about their encounter earlier today. "What happened?" he asked himself. "I could've attacked the warriors of Millennia the instant I saw them, but when I noticed Max, something about her stopped me."

Fiore started to feel nauseous as he watched them walk on. "Look at those two, walking together like lovers. That boy seems to have it so easy, surrounded by friends, people to talk to and laugh with, people to be with every minute. Talk about a perfect life. No one was nice to me when I was growing up. Ever since I can remember, I was a servant to the Dark Lord. I could never understand why he would choose someone like me to do his bidding. He just gave me the task of protecting one of his shards and he sent me to this world to occupy it for when Millennia's warriors would arrive. Now that they're here, I must serve my task and fight them."

He sighed and groaned. "I feel as though that's always been my destiny, but there just has to be more to my life. I wish I could remember more about my past and where I came from. I have no idea what my life was like before the Dark Lord found me. He promised me I would get my memories back if I served him and fulfilled the task he gave me, but now I'm starting to get concerned that maybe it has to do with Max." He scoffed and said, "Still, I have my own priorities to consider and it's time for me to put my plan in motion."

Fiore approached the same tree Max and Joey stopped at. He knelt down and planted a seed near it. In less than a few seconds, the seed sprouted and bloomed into a pink flower. All he had to do now was wait.


	8. Hero Power Make Up

Hero Power Make Up

The following day, when school hours came to an end, the girls got together and began showing their new friends around town. Serena yawned and stretched. "Being a good student and a superhero's totally exhausting."

"You said it," Joey said in agreement.

Luna scoffed and said, "Oh, please. Try babysitting a bunch of wannabe scouts who do nothing but gossip." It was true. She and Artemis had to put up with that every day. But that was part of their assignment as their guides and guardians.

Rini remembered to thank Lita for the school lunch she made for her today. It was one of her homemade pizzas.

Kaiba noticed that Raye stopped and called for everyone's attention. "Guys, wait up." Everyone stopped and looked back. "What's the matter, Raye?" he asks, seeing the disturbed expression she carried.

"I feel it," she replied. "There's something very bad close by."

Listening to her, everyone started running, hoping to escape from whatever was coming. "Wait for me," Rini cried, trying her best to keep up, but she fell over. "Don't leave me! How could you forget me?"

When everyone turned the corner, they were in shock to see so many citizens lying on the ground. "What happened to all these people," Yugi asked, a little scared.

"I can't believe what I'm seeing," gasped Lita.

Artemis inspected a townsman and saw that he wasn't injured in any way. It was faint, but he also sensed some life in him. "Their energy's been stolen," he answered.

"Are you sure?" Kaiba asked.

"Everyone, be super alert," Luna cautioned.

Mina looked around. "I'm sure the culprit's gone by now; probably gone to find more victims."

"Or plan the next attack," Yugi wondered.

Suddenly, the townsman came to life and grabbed Mina by her ankle and lifted her.

"Mina!" Joey cried, hearing her shriek.

"Let me go!" she shouted, kicking him in the face.

All of the townspeople started standing up again, but they still weren't themselves. Looking closely, the heroes saw that they were all covered in vines and the vines seemed to be controlling them. The citizens began to surround the heroes, ready to attack them. Raye stopped them using her spiritual power to ward off the evil force controlling them. When the sutras touched their foreheads, the vines burned off and the citizens fell and became motionless again.

It was now time to find the source responsible for the attack. Amy took out her supercomputer and started to get a reading on the source controlling the vines. She found it and it was in front of her and the others. It was the same flower Fiore planted the other night. Much to everyone's horror, the plant emerged from the earth and began crawling like a spider.

Rini saw that the plant was coming for her. "That plant can move," she cried.

"Stop whining and start running," Kaiba ordered, but the girl was frozen with fright.

"Stop that wicked weed," said Serena.

"Rini, start running," Joey shouted again.

Emily and Serena charged in to the rescue. "We're coming, Rini!" They lifted her and broke through a window, crashing inside a restaurant.

The flower creature grew larger and took on the shape of a monster. From the flower bloomed a human-shaped figure with wavy dark blue hair and red eyes. Raye tried to stop it using her spiritual power, but the monster grabbed her and Amy, held them against a wall, and began draining their energy.

Lita and Mina knew what they had to do. They were hesitant about it because it meant using their powers in front of Yugi, Joey, and Kaiba, but Luna assured them it was okay because they had their own powers too and could help out. And just like they discussed last night, it was time for the Sailor Scouts and the Heroes of Millennia to work together.

Mina takes her transformation wand and cries out, "Venus Star Power!" and becomes Sailor Venus. Her outfit had turned into a sailor uniform with an orange skirt with a yellow bow sticking out from behind. On her chest was a dark blue bow with a bright orange brooch. She also wore orange shoes with orange bands above her ankles. She also had a golden tiara on her brow with a yellow jewel in the center.

It was Lita's turn. "Jupiter Star Power!" She had now transformed into Sailor Jupiter. Her outfit was just like Sailor Venus', but was instead green with a pink bow on her chest and a green brooch in the center and a pink bow behind her. She also wore green shoes with white laces. On her brow was a golden tiara with a green jewel in the middle.

Joey was amazed at their transformation. It was one thing to witness it on television back home, but to see it up close was exciting. Looking at his transformation wand and trusting his instincts, he cries out, "Friendship Star Power!" and raises his wand in the air. Joey's school uniform turned into a yellow tuxedo and over his eyes was a mask with an orange frame. He also had white gloves over his hands and orange shoes on his feet. Joey also saw a quiver full of arrows strapped to his back and a golden bow over his shoulder.

"Get this weed off us," Amy and Raye cried out. Sailor Venus cut the vines using a technique called Venus Love Chain Encircle. A chain of golden hearts cut the vines, setting the girls free. Kaiba and Yugi went to their help to make sure they were all right. Sailor Jupiter attacked the monster using her Jupiter Thunder Blast Zap, sending a sphere of lightning towards it.

Joey jumped in and apologized. "Sorry I'm late. I was admiring my new look."

"Where'd you come from?" Sailor Venus asked.

"Don't be afraid, Sailor Venus," he assured her. "I come as a friend." He faces the monster and says, "As for you, you may think we start out as enemies the instant we start fighting, but that's not always the case. Some people fight to help their opponents. That's one way for us to connect and understand each other. And while you may be a monster, you don't have to be evil, but that's what you choose to be. But while you tread on the path of evil, the good in you isn't gone forever. It just needs to be revived. Then and only then can you redeem yourself. I fight not as an enemy to inflict harm, but to help those who need to be saved from themselves. I call it the flames of renewal, fighting my enemy to revive my friend. My fire is like that of the phoenix, a graceful creature whose flames can only be ignited by the lightning from the storm of friendship.

"I stand for friendship and renewal. I am the Masked Phoenix. You, my friend, are in for a blazing shock."

That was when everyone figured out that this was Joey. The Sailor Scouts welcomed him as a fellow ally. The battle wasn't over yet. The monster was still alive and ready to fight back. Raye raised her transformation wand in the air and cried out, "Mars Star Power!" and transformed into Sailor Mars. Her sailor outfit had a red skirt with a red bow behind her and a purple bow on her chest with a red brooch. She also wore red shoes with high heels. On her brow was a golden tiara with a red jewel.

Kaiba knew what he had to do now. He raised his transformation wand in the air and cried out, "Wisdom Star Power!" His uniform turned into a red tuxedo with white shoes and white gloves over his hands and a mask with a purple frame over his eyes. In his hands was also a scepter with a dragon's head on top.

It was Amy's turn. "Mercury Star Power!" She used her transformation wand to transform into Sailor Mercury. Her outfit was light blue with bows of the same color on her chest and behind her. The bow on her chest also had a dark blue brooch. She also had light blue boots reaching up to her knees. On her brow was a golden tiara with a blue jewel.

It was Yugi's turn. "Courage Star Power!" he cried, and used his transformation wand. His uniform turned into a dark blue tuxedo and he had light blue shoes on his feet, light blue gloves on his hands, and a mask with a dark blue frame over his eyes. He also had belt containing a sheathed sword at his waist.

The boys were amazed with their transformations and identified themselves. "It is time you learned who you are dealing with," Kaiba was saying. "It is new to me as well, but I have decided to take it naturally. That's the only way I can come to understand my new power. My journey is like that of a dragon's. I have traveled to many lands and learned many new things, growing in strength and in wisdom. One must also rely on their own instincts as they remember lessons they are taught. By believing in themselves and putting those they love first, their true power is born. One must think strategically, but also remember what is most important. There are times when we must put our selfish pride last and our friends and allies first.

"I stand for wisdom and reason. I am the Masked Dragon. And if I can't educate you, I'll have to chastise you."

It was time for Yugi to identify himself. "You're a coward if you fight only for your selfish ambitions, preying on the weak and defenseless just to fool yourself into thinking you're better than everyone else. True bravery comes from fighting and taming your inner demons. Another bitter truth is you won't be safe from your fears by simply running away from them. Eventually, we must all face the judgment of our ways. No one can run or escape from that. Justice is like a storm we must all be prepared to face no matter what the results may bring. You can't always fight it, but you will have some courage if you face it.

"I stand for courage and justice. I am the Masked Eagle. Repent as you face the blizzards of justice."

Now that the introductions were over, it was time to get back in action. The heroes tried to attack, but the monster evaded all of their moves.

Meanwhile, Emily and Rini were trying to revive Serena and help her regain consciousness. Rini poked her with some twisted up tissue paper. _Boy, she sleeps like she's dead_, she thought to herself. _Well, at least she doesn't snore. Come on, Serena, wake up. We haven't got all day, you know._

Serena finally came to, surprising Rini and Emily. "About time you woke up," said Rini.

"Are you trying to kill me?" Serena asked, noticing tissue blocking her nostrils.

"We were trying to revive you. Our friends are in trouble and need help," Emily told her.

Serena finished cleaning her nose out. "The fight's still on?"

Emily nods and helps her stand up. "Serena, I know we just met and learned about each other's gifts in a short time. I also understand we may not fully understand each other's methods, but we have to set that aside for the moment and fight as one. Let's learn and adapt from one another as we go."

Serena nodded in agreement, but before she and Emily could join the battle, Rini stopped them. Serena turns around and says, "We're a little busy here. What is it, you brat?"

Rini smiles and says, "Thanks for saving my life." She winks and gives a thumb's up. "You're a pal. Now do your thing, Moon Mama. You too, Emily."

Serena accepted her thanks and began to pick up where she left off. "Moon Crystal Power!" Using the Silver Crystal, Serena transformed into Sailor Moon. Her skirt was dark blue with a rose pink bow sticking out from behind. She also had a rose pink bow on her chest with her golden brooch in the middle containing her Silver Crystal. She also had rose pink boots reaching her knees with crescents positioned like a smile at the end. She also had red jewels in the buns in her hair and a golden tiara at her brow with a rose pink jewel in the center.

Emily places her hands close to her chest to release the Millennium Star. "Millennium Power!" Using the power of the Millennium Star, she had transformed into a Sailor Scout as well. Her skirt had colors patterned on it like a rainbow and a white bow stuck out from behind. On her chest was a rainbow colored bow with a white star-shaped brooch in the center. She also had white low-heeled shoes on her feet with white bows above her toes. She also wore a golden tiara with a white jewel in the center.

The rest of the heroes were holding their own very well until the monster grabbed them all in its vines. Before it could start draining their energy, the vines were cut by a powerful light.

"I cannot forgive you for attacking innocent people for your evil desires," said Emily's voice. "Not until you have seen the error of your ways and admitted you were doing wrong, anyway. I was taught to believe in the good in others no matter who they are and to give them another chance. But a second chance is not deserved if you return to your evil ways. However, that gives me no right to despise you no matter how bitter I am about it and hate gives me no pleasure either. It makes me feel disgusted about myself the same way I feel about the enemies I fight. I believe you can be saved because I see you as victim who needs to be rescued. And should you be saved, I pray you will live a life of peace.

"I am the Sailor Soldier in service to the Great Goddess Millennia. I stand for love and purity. I am Sailor Celeste. In the name of the Great Goddess, I'll purify you."

Sailor Moon spoke up and said, "How dare you use your floral beauty in such an evil way? Who knows what compost heap you come from, but you're not welcome here! And believe me, we get to the root of every problem. I am Sailor Moon! I will triumph over evil and that means you."

The plant monster was about to attack again, but the girls dodged. Sailor Mercury used her Shine Aqua Illusion to trap the monster in an icy prison.

This was Sailor Moon's chance to finish it off. With the power of her Moon Scepter, she used her Moon Princess Elimination attack and destroyed the monster. As she would say, it was moon dust. The monster released a fowl miasma when it was destroyed. Suddenly, Sailor Celeste sensed a Cobalt Star shard nearby.


	9. Nothing is what it seems

Nothing is what it seems

The miasma released by the monster began to clear. When it did, everyone saw Fiore in front of them. "Impressive," he complemented the heroes. "I never would have thought that you nitwits would have such awesome power. The Dark Lord warned me to only expect it from Millennia's heroes."

"You _are_ one of his servants," said Sailor Celeste.

Fiore nodded and revealed his true form. His short gold hair turned long and light blue with a few pink smears and his skin turned ghostly pale. On his chest bloomed a red flower. This was no ordinary plant. Luna and Artemis recognized it and to their horror, it was an alien plant known as the Xenian Blossom.

Fiore looked around. "The Dark Lord was right to send me to this world. This planet is perfect for cultivating our plans. I can fulfill the task he gave me of eliminating Millennia's warriors. And with them out of the way along with their Sailor Scout friends, you and I can take the energy here." And he attacked the heroes with great force, pushing them against the walls of buildings. Sailor Moon and Sailor Celeste were the only ones left standing. Fiore stretched out his hand and his fingernails extended into sword-like claws. He was about to attack when suddenly, a red rose landed at his feet. At the same time, he sensed more Cobalt Star shards.

Everyone looked and saw Tuxedo Mask. Standing next to him was another Sailor Soldier. Her uniform consisted of a purple skirt with a dark blue bow sticking out from behind her. She also had a dark blue bow on her chest with a silver star-shaped brooch in the center. She also had purple shoes over her feet and a golden tiara with a black jewel on her forehead.

"Another Sailor Scout," Sailor Moon asked. "How many of us are there?"

_The Cobalt Star shards I sense are coming from her_, Sailor Celeste thought to herself. _Is that you, Max?_

Tuxedo Mask spoke and said, "Nothing good will ever grow in a garden full of darkness, Fiore. We all know it."

"That guy can wear a cape," Sailor Moon commented.

Fiore looked at the rose, then fixed his gaze back on the newcomers. "Darien, you remember the promise we made all those years ago," he said cheerfully to his old friend. He looked at Max directly and said, "And you, you're a servant to the Dark Lord like me. And yet, you stand before me as one of them? It's strange, I fell as though I've seen you from somewhere before, but I can't remember. All I know is there's so much more to you."

The Sailor Scout nods. "It saddens me that you do not remember me. So I must identify myself before you as who I am now. I fight to protect the balances of the world. Where there is light, there must also be darkness. Where there is good, there must also be evil. Neither can exist without the other. I fight not to destroy, but to sustain. I am a Sailor Soldier in service to the Dark Lord. I am Sailor Night. And in the name of the Dark Lord, I will set you straight. I vow to you, Fiore, I will help you remember me and who you really are."

Sailor Celeste was confused. "What does she mean?"

Even Fiore didn't understand. "Remember you?"

Sailor Night smiled sadly. "Fiore, you once had a good heart, but it's been taken over by darkness and you've been fed with lies, blinding you to the truth."

He didn't want to believe her. "I was sworn eternal friendship. But you fight alongside the enemy when you should be fighting with me. And, Darien, you've chosen this dingbat over me," he said, gesturing to Sailor Moon.

"The Heroes of Millennia are my friends just as you are," said Sailor Night.

Tuxedo Mask nods. "If you believe in our friendship, Fiore, you must trust our friends and the people of Earth."

"If you say so," Fiore said gently. But Max wasn't convinced. She could sense the hold on Fiore getting stronger and knew he was about to attack. He jumped in the air and held a sword in his hand. "These girls have you bamboozled," he growled, coming in to attack the girls.

Sailor Celeste turned around to flee, but Sailor Moon remained frozen with fright. "Sailor Moon, run!"

"Run, you dingbat!" Sailor Night shouted.

Tuxedo Mask stepped in front of Sailor Moon to protect her. "Fiore, stop!" he shouted, trying to fend him off with his staff.

Fiore strained and asked, "Why should I?"

"The reason Earth is so appealing to you is because the Sailor Scouts and the Heroes of Millennia drive out the negative forces," Tuxedo Mask answered.

"They _are_ the negative forces!" Fiore shouted. He lost his grip on his sword and backed away. Sailor Celeste continued to try to help Sailor Moon stand up and come to her senses, but she still wouldn't budge. This was the edge Fiore needed. He could attack both of them and finally achieve his goals. He could destroy Emily on behalf of the Dark Lord Cobalt and kill Sailor Moon so no one could take his friend from him. He extended his nails towards the girls and was about to pierce them. Sailor Celeste tried to create a barrier to protect herself and Sailor Moon, but before she could, Tuxedo Mask stepped in to protect them.

"Darien!" Fiore screamed in shock. Tuxedo Mask staggered back in pain and landed in Sailor Moon's arms.

"Tuxedo Mask," she sobbed. "You saved my life. Oh, my love."

Fiore continued to stare in shock. "I _can'_t lose him. He's the only friend I've ever had."

Sailor Night approached Sailor Celeste. She set her hand on her shoulder and began communicating with her mentally. _"He plans to take him so he can save him. I want to go with him."_

Sailor Celeste was confused. _"What?"_

"_Listen to me. Right now, Fiore is driven by anger, jealousy, and hatred. But I can help him to see reason because… he is my friend."_

"_Your friend?"_

Sailor Night turns away. _"There's so much about us that you don't understand. And I can't tell you everything yet. But I'm begging you to trust me. You and your friends risked everything for me many times before. It's time I did the same for someone I cared about. I believe if anyone can help Fiore, I can."_

As Sailor Celeste listens to her friend, she also looks inside her heart. After giving it some thought, she finally responds. _"If you feel that strongly, then go," _she says approvingly. _"Go and help your friend. And know that the rest of us will be with you should you need us."_

Sailor Night smiles. _"Thank you for understanding."_

Just as she said, Fiore used his power to carry Tuxedo Mask in his arms. She also began following him.

"Give him back!" Sailor Moon cried and began pursuing him.

"Sailor Moon!" Sailor Celeste cried.

"Give him back!" Sailor Moon shouted again, but Fiore was already disappearing with Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Night. "No, this can't be." She got down on her knees and began crying, begging for her love to come back.

Sailor Celeste approached her to console her. She also looked up and prayed for her friend. She trusted in Sailor Night, but she also hoped she would be all right.


	10. Fiore Comes Calling

Fiore Comes Calling

The sound of tires screeching and a car crashing rang through Darien's ears. A physician came before him with drastic news. "I'm afraid your parents did not survive the accident. We did everything we could to save them. It was too late."

Listening to his words, Young Darien starts crying, unable to bear what he's hearing. "Father," he sobs. "Why did you have to leave me? Why did you leave me all alone?"

"You're not alone," said a voice. Young Darien looked and saw Young Fiore standing next to him. "I'm here with you."

Darien opened his eyes and found himself in a containment pod and he saw Fiore standing in front of him just like how he saw in his memory. "Fiore," he groaned and grunted in pain.

"You need to rest now, Darien," Fiore said gently. "We can talk later."

But he wouldn't allow himself to rest. He had so much he wanted to say. "You're real. You came back. I thought you were just someone I made up to ease the pain of my orphanage loneliness."

It wasn't like that at all. Fiore began to explain the real truth starting from what he could remember. "I'm real, but there's still so much about my past that I can't remember. Before I came to the orphanage, all I knew about myself was that I was a servant to the Dark Lord Cobalt and he charged me with the task of protecting one of his Star shards. I had no idea what my life was like or who I was before then, but Cobalt promised me he could help me remember if I served him. Before I knew it, Cobalt sent me on a mission and I found myself floating in darkness. Finally, after a long and tiring journey, I came to this world. Why he sent me to this particular world, I often wondered. But I didn't care anymore when I met you."

When Fiore awakened, he found himself lying in front of the orphanage. That was when Darien found and rescued him from the rain. The boys became good friends, but Fiore knew he wasn't meant to stay because he couldn't forget his mission. But he promised to come back someday.

Before going away, Fiore was presented with a red rose as a token of friendship. He promised to return the gesture and present Darien with the perfect flower that would symbolize their friendship. With the power offered to him by the Cobalt Star shard, Fiore was able to travel through the vast regions of space. Finally, he came to a star where a unique flower grew. It was the Xenian Blossom. When Fiore touched the flower, many negative feelings began to fill up inside Fiore. He had been convinced that the people of Earth had left Darien alone to suffer and he vowed to make them pay. At the same time, he could still fulfill his mission to the Dark Lord; wait for Millennia's heroes to arrive and eliminate them.

"The Dark Lord sent me to this world to occupy it until Millennia's heroes would arrive," continued Fiore. "And now that they are finally here, I can finally carry out my mission and eliminate them on his behalf. And, you, Max, you will help me remember. I realize now that the key to learning more about my past is to obtain more Cobalt Star shards starting with yours."

Max was still in her form as Sailor Night. When she realized the seriousness of how misguided Fiore was, she knew that this was worse than she thought. "You're wrong. You won't get the help you need from me in such a way."

Tuxedo Mask agreed. "And I have family on Earth. And so does Max. That's where we belong."

"No longer," Fiore said bitterly. "You belong with me, your true friend, Darien. And so do you, Max."

"Fiore," she whispered, but he wouldn't listen to her. He instead left her and Tuxedo Mask. It hurt Sailor Night deeply to see how much her friend had changed for worse.

When Fiore left, Tuxedo Mask began talking to her. "Sailor Night, I think Fiore may have mentioned you before."

She gave him his attention and asked, "Really?"

He nods and explains, "Back when Fiore and I met and were getting to know each other, he told me he was on a mission for his master, but he was also searching for someone special to him." As he tries to remember, scenes of his past begin playing in his mind. The boys were sitting together in a small room and Fiore told Darien his secret.

"My whole life, I keep waiting and searching, but I never find her."

"Find who?" Young Darien asked. "Who are you trying to find?"

"I can't remember," Young Fiore answered. "It was too long ago. All I know is I'm looking for someone who's special to me, maybe an old friend. And I think that maybe this holds the key." He takes the chain from around his neck and shows Darien his Cobalt Star shard. "My master, the Dark Lord, gave me this to protect. He said it may hold answers to my past and help me find that one person. But before I can find out, I have to complete my mission. One day, Darien, I'll have to leave for that purpose."

When the memories end, Tuxedo Mask tells Sailor Night, "When I saw those Cobalt Star shards, I couldn't help but wonder, could you be the one Fiore's spent his whole life searching for? Could you have a connection to his past too?"

Sailor Night was hesitant to answer at first, but she finally replied, "Yes. Fiore and I knew each other from long ago. We lived in the same world, but a world separate from this one." She clenched her hands into fists. "I can't lose him again. I've got to help him remember who he really is."

"Sailor Night," Darien was asking, "Max, who are you really?"

This time, she didn't answer. She wasn't ready to reveal that yet.

After Fiore distanced himself from Sailor Night and Tuxedo Mask far enough, so many thoughts began pouring into his head. He also noticed that his Cobalt Star shard was shimmering. He placed it between his fingertips to closely inspect it. When he did, many visions began flashing before his eyes.

He fell to his knees and began gasping. _Were those memories?_ He wondered to himself. He even saw Max in those visions as well, only she looked a little differently than she did now. He saw her with the ears and tail of a fox._ She is part of my past. I have seen her before._

The feelings were too strong to ignore, but Fiore didn't want to forget about Darien. "I can't let these visions distract me. Darien matters most to me right now. I won't let anyone take my friend from me, not even those Sailor Scouts. But, Max, she's just as crucial to this. She appears as one of them, but I know she really isn't. I remember her, but only by a little bit." Fiore stops and tells himself, "It's strange, I feel as though she's special to me. This means I can't let her go either."

He began to feel as though everything was coming together for him. "I'll have to confront the Heroes of Millennia again and I'm sure they'll be wanting to take Darien and Max from me. I can't have that. I can't let them take my friends away from me. Maybe this is the reason the Dark Lord sent me here; to discover the truth behind my past and Max is part of it. He knew Max would come to this world. He knew she would be the key to helping me remember. But I'll never be able to as long as Princess Emily and her friends are in my way and they'll continue to be if they try to take Max from me. But I swear, I will remember everything and I will eliminate Millennia's warriors and the Sailor Scouts. When I do, nothing will stand in my way and this world will belong to Xenian and the Dark Lord Cobalt."

After giving it some thought, Fiore's thoughts broadened even more. "But then, what will become of me and my friends? There's no place for me in this world. As such, I don't belong here. Once I've fulfilled the task Lord Cobalt has given me, I'll finally be able to leave this world. But then, where will I go? I have no home to go to." He turns away and scoffs. "Not that it bothers me. With me being who I am, I could never belong anywhere. I never did." He looks at his reflection at a nearby mirror. "It's not because I'm an outsider who chanced upon this world, but because I'm not human. I'm an abomination."

Fiore continues to look at himself. "I've often wondered why I was even born. What purpose could a creature like me possibly have? Now I finally know that to find the answers, I must remember more about who I am and why I am here. To do that, I must keep Max close and prevent Princess Emily and her friends from taking her from me. They think they're so special, but really, they're just as abominable as I am. That means that they shouldn't even exist either. But I'll be sure to take care of that once I see them again."


	11. Out of this World

Out of this World

It was time for the heroes to discuss the matter at hand, but the Sailor Scouts wanted to learn more about their new comrades. Luna and Artemis had heard about Sailor Celeste and Sailor Night, but had never met them before until now. What they knew about them was that the girls were Sailor Scouts like the others, but were said to appear only in the greatest times of need. As mentioned earlier, they were warriors in service to the Great Goddess and the Dark Lord charged with keeping harmony by protecting the balances of light and darkness. They were like the Knights of Light and Darkness because though they served opposing deities, they were friends. Partners, in a sense.

The legend of the Light and Dark Knights was another story and now was not the time to talk about it. Still, it was enough to assure the Sailor Scouts that Sailor Night was an ally and not an enemy. For now, it was time to talk about the Xenian Blossom. Luna and Artemis had heard about this alien plant back when they lived in the Moon Kingdom and began sharing their knowledge of it with the heroes.

The Xenian Blossom is a plant that comes from another galaxy. On her own, she poses no threat; until she finds a pawn to do her bidding; someone with a vulnerable heart. Her goal is to collect all the energy from every star and planet she travels to, but she's too weak to do anything on her own. That's where a servant comes in and unfortunately for Fiore, he was that unlucky victim this time. And once Xenian has finished collecting energy from a star or planet, she no longer has any use for her pawn and finishes them off by stealing their energy and killing them.

As if that wasn't bad enough for Fiore, the heroes remembered that he possessed a Cobalt Star shard and was just another pawn to the Dark Lord as well. That was when they realized that he truly was a friend who needed help realizing his mistake and had to be rescued before it was too late.

Sailor Mercury had been conducting research on the remains of the flower monster they fought earlier. It carried the same plant readings detected from the planet that was approaching Earth. Xenian was coming to Earth to take the life energy of its inhabitants.

The heroes decided that they had to go to the coming planet to stop her. They also couldn't forget that Sailor Night and Tuxedo Mask were Fiore's prisoners and they were likely to find their friends there too.

Sailor Moon was still feeling crushed about losing her love. "It's too dangerous. We're not going anywhere," she decided. "It's my fault and I won't lose any more friends." She started crying again and began scolding herself. "I'm not strong enough. Tuxedo, sorry I'm such a wimp who needs protection."

"That's not true," Sailor Mars protested.

Rini decided to help Sailor Moon with her own magic. Her Luna Sphere turned into a little gun and she aimed it for Sailor Moon's head. "May I remind you you're a superhero?" She pulled the trigger and a dart attached itself to Sailor Moon's tiara with a message that read: _'Go for it'_. "Why is it you think we fight for you?" Rini asked her.

"Mental void," Sailor Moon guessed.

"Because we value your friendship," Sailor Jupiter answered.

The Masked Phoenix agreed. "And friends will always fight on the same side."

"Because you brought us together," Sailor Mercury added. "You and Tuxedo are what keep us together."

Sailor Mars places her hand on Sailor Moon's shoulder. "And we can't let Tuxedo or Sailor Night go. She's one of us just like Sailor Celeste and the rest of the guys."

Sailor Celeste approached the Scouts. "Well, if you think of us as fellow Sailor Soldiers, I'd be honored to think of you guys as fellow warriors of Millennia."

The Masked Eagle agreed. "We may come from different worlds, but we're all heroes. More than that, we're all friends and friends stay together."

Sailor Celeste began thinking about Max and Fiore. "Still, Max seems to know something about Fiore that we don't. I even think that there's a lot more about her that we don't know; things she never told us about herself about before."

The Masked Dragon agreed and was concerned. "She never was one to talk about her past, where she came from, who her family was. I think she owes us some answers to what this is about."

The Masked Phoenix nodded. "But no matter what happens, no matter what we may find out, she's still our friend and we have to be strong for her. I won't let anything change how I feel about her. As for Fiore, well, I just can't see him as an enemy anymore, not after all that we've been talking about. I understand now that he's Max's friend too and she would be devastated if anything happened to him."

Listening to his words, Sailor Venus could clearly see that the Masked Phoenix had strong feelings for Sailor Night and loved her. Mixed feelings of happiness and sadness began to build up inside of her.

The Masked Eagle smiled at his friend. Joey had risked everything to save Max many times before and he wasn't about to let this be any different because he loved her and was considering her feelings. "Maybe there's a way to save Fiore too."

"We have to try," said Sailor Celeste. "It's part of our job as Heroes of Millennia. To stop our enemies from achieving domination and save a friend who needs our help. Right now, Fiore is that kind of person."

The Masked Dragon shrugged. "We have had our share of adversaries who have been in his place. I'm sure we can do it. If we can defeat Fiore by stopping Xenian and getting his Cobalt Star shard, I think we may be able to save him. And hopefully, when we do, we may be able to learn more about him and Max."

There was another problem. The approaching planet was just outside of Earth's orbit. Going to the planet meant going out in space. That was impossible for the heroes. However, Luna suggested that if the heroes combined their Moon Power and Millennium Power together, they would be able to safely travel though space. So it was decided that everyone would be going together.

The heroes formed a circle and joined hands and began pooling their energy. Together, they teleported away. Rini faced the sky and prayed for everyone's safety. _Mama, Sailor Scouts, Heroes of Millennia, come back safe, you guys._


	12. A Bitter Heart

A Bitter Heart

The heroes found themselves floating in space. The planet was just up ahead. As the heroes approached the planet, it opened up like a flower in bloom. The whole area was covered with pink blossoms similar to the creature they fought back on Earth.

Sailor Mercury started getting a reading on her monitor. "Enemy on turbo approach," she alerted her comrades. Suddenly, a monster flew in and took the heroes by surprise. Thankfully, they were protected by the barrier built from their formation.

"Man, we're sitting ducks," cried the Masked Phoenix.

Sailor Venus got an idea. The heroes could combine their strength to create an attack strong enough to destroy the monster. When their attacks collided, the heroes broke the formation and landed gracefully on the fields. Everyone except for Sailor Moon, of course. She wasn't as coordinated as her friends and ended up landing on her bottom. The plan still worked. The monster was gravely injured from the collision and ended up destroyed.

Much to Yugi's amazement, he and his friends could breathe even though they were in outer space. And the planet's gravity was similar to Earth's. The cats were right. Under Millennia's protection along with the power they shared with the Sailor Scouts, Yugi and his friends were unharmed here.

He saw in the distance a strange vicinity with what looked like a bunch of crystals. "What is that, Mercury?"

"Hang on. I'm analyzing it now." She took out her supercomputer and got a close reading with her monitor. "It looks like their headquarters. Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Night are there too."

Sailor Moon tried to rush ahead, but the Masked Dragon held her back. "It could be a trap."

"You've been trained well, heroes," said Fiore's voice, "but rest assured I'd never use my friends as bait, at least not for such an easy catch." And he came before the heroes. "I was almost starting to doubt that you'd actually even come. You don't strike me as loyal."

"Look, Fiore, we want our friends back," the Masked Phoenix demanded. "Let Sailor Night and Tuxedo Mask go."

"I will release them," Fiore promised. "I'll take them back to Earth myself. But I'm not ready."

"Ready for what?" Sailor Celeste asked.

Fiore showed the heroes the seeds of the flowers he controlled. "Pretty soon, we will be close enough to plant these seeds on Earth. Millions of pods each containing the seeds of our power. They'll grow on any surface and before you know it, Earth will be carpeted with flowers."

"And the Xenian Blossoms feed on?" the Masked Eagle was asking.

"Energy," Fiore answered. "The human race will be sucked dry and become extinct. And once Xenian is finished, the planet will belong to the Dark Lord."

"Not if I can help it!" the Masked Dragon shouted. He launched a blast of fire from his scepter to attack, but Fiore vanished instantly.

"Damn it," the Masked Phoenix grunted. "He disappeared _again_! I hate it when he does that."

Sailor Mercury began picking up traces of life forms on her supercomputer. "We're surrounded! There are negative forces all around us!"

The heroes looked around, but couldn't see any signs of life anywhere. The Masked Dragon looked down at his feet. He realized that it was the flowers themselves that carried the traces Amy's computer was detecting. That was when monsters began to emerge from the plants.

The only way out of this was to fight. Sailor Jupiter shocked them with her Supreme Thunder Crash, Sailor Venus cut through them using her Venus Crescent Beam Smash, Sailor Mercury doused them with her Shine Aqua Illusion, and Sailor Mars scorched them with her Mars Fireball Crash.

The boys helped out too. The Masked Phoenix took an arrow from his quiver and drew his bow. He fired the arrow and sparks of lightning were released, igniting a fierce flame. The Masked Eagle drew his sword and unleashed a strong blizzard with one fell swoop. The Masked Dragon raised his scepter and released fire in the shape of a dragon to burn the monsters. Sailor Celeste unleashed her Celestial Spectral Breeze, sending a rainbow breeze against the monsters. To finish them off, Sailor Moon used the power of her Moon Scepter and her Moon Princess Elimination attack turned the monsters into moon dust.

Fiore was watching and alerted his minions to pull back and launch a counter attack. The monsters did as commanded and began forming together. "So long, Sailors of Millennia," said Fiore.

Sailor Mars grabbed Sailor Moon by the wrist and pulled her away. The Masked Dragon did the same to Sailor Celeste. Both girls tumbled down from the hill and watched the rest of their friends be engulfed by the monsters. When the attack stopped, they turned into another layer of the hill.

The girls watched in horror, but quickly climbed back up the hill. "No, I don't believe this," Sailor Moon sobbed as she tried digging through the ground. "Oh, please, you guys, don't do this. We need you."

Sailor Celeste agreed. "We can't do this without you."

"What cowards," Fiore sneered. The girls looked up and saw him with his arms crossed and his minions behind him. "I saw how you abandoned your so-called friends. You wimps." The girls were about to attack Fiore, but he stopped them and used his powers to pull the rest of the heroes up from the ground. They were trapped and ensnared by the same vines from before.

"Sailor Moon, Princess Emily, surrender," Fiore commanded. "Hand over your magic wand and your Millennium Star or lose your pals." Then the heroes began screaming in pain as their energy was being drained from their bodies.

"No!" Sailor Moon cried. Fiore finally stopped the power of the vines.

"You're so mean," Sailor Celeste whined.

Fiore disagreed. "All's fair in love and war, Princess Emily. I would think you would agree considering how you consider yourself the hero of love. Once more, it's either your Millennium Star and Sailor Moon's Scepter or your fellow Scouts and warriors."

Sailor Moon and Sailor Celeste looked at each other, but their friends wouldn't allow them to discuss making a decision. Weakly, they begged not to give in. "You mustn't give up your powers," Sailor Mars whispered.

The Masked Eagle agreed. "They belong to you only."

"Don't let him use us against you girls," Sailor Venus said weakly.

"You can't surrender the Scepter or Millennia's power," said Sailor Jupiter, "not even for us."

Fiore's patience was wearing thin. "What's your choice? You gonna abandon them again?"

"Never," Sailor Celeste answered. "I yield."

"As do I," said Sailor Moon. Fiore gasped and his minions stopped chattering. The girls look up at their friends and smile at them with tears filling their eyes. "We can't turn our backs on our friends. Without them, things wouldn't be the same."

"Cowards!" the Masked Dragon shouted. "Fight back!"

"We can't," said Sailor Celeste. "If we do, you'll get hurt, maybe even killed." And she began crying. "We couldn't bear that."

Suddenly, Fiore began to feel a painful burn building up inside of him. At that moment, the rest of the heroes were freed from the vines and carefully placed on the ground. "What's happening to me?" Fiore asked himself. "I'm not used to these emotions."

Xenian commanded Fiore to pull himself together. "Fiore, they've tricked you. All those girls want is for the Scouts and the warriors to help them take Max and Darien away from you."

"My friends," Fiore realized. "They can't have them."

"If you help me fight them, I'll make sure that you fulfill your task to the Dark Lord and that Darien remembers your special bond and that you recover your memories of your past. But your friendship with Max and Darien will never come back to life until the Sailor Scouts and the Heroes of Millennia are gone. Together, we are invincible!"

To the girls' horror, Fiore and Xenian had now become one. His armor turned red and his body was covered with vines that looked like additional limbs. His hair had also turned pink with blue smears on the sides. Fiore's Cobalt Star shard also began giving off immense power. The Dark Lord was giving Fiore a bit of his own power as well.


	13. Affections Touching Beyond Worlds

Affections Touching Beyond Worlds

Tuxedo Mask continued to try to free himself from the healing pod Fiore contained him in. Sailor Night saw him straining and told him to stop. "You needn't waste your energy." She used her Dark Energy Dispel to destroy the pod and set him free. Darien's wounds still hadn't fully healed, but he wasn't going to let that hold him back. Sailor Night helped to steady him. "Don't worry, there's still time to stop Fiore." Tuxedo Mask agreed and together, he and Max went on their way.

Fiore used his force attack to push Sailor Moon and Sailor Celeste across the field. They crashed into a boulder and Fiore came up from behind them and grabbed them in his arms and began draining their energy. His minions raised their hands from the flowers and began taking their share as well.

Fiore heard them scream in agonizing pain. "You can wail all you want, but my followers won't give up until I tell them. So give up your claim on Darien's heart and Max's and I'll tell them to stop." But the girls continued to scream. Fiore wouldn't cease, however. He continued to bitterly rant out on the girls. "You girls don't know what it's like to be lonely without true friends or you wouldn't try to take Max and Darien away. You don't know what it's like to have everyone shun you because you're different. But maybe you'll understand what Darien and Max mean to me if you get a glimpse of true loneliness. I need Max to remember more about who I am. I've been so lost without her and now that I've found her, I've also found the missing part of me. Have either of you ever felt that way? Do you know how it feels never to have anyone to talk to? To share things with?"

As the Sailor Scouts listened to Fiore's rant, they looked back on what their lives were like before Sailor Moon met any of them. They knew what he was talking about because they were in the same situation. They were outcasts, loners, and rejects. Amy was too committed to her studies and never allowed herself to socialize and make friends because she was afraid it would get in her way of achieving her dream of becoming a doctor like her mother. Lita was a rebel and had been transferred to many schools because of the trouble she got herself into by getting into fights. But it wasn't her fault. She wasn't a bully. She was just protecting those who were too weak and scared to defend themselves. Yet, people were still intimidated by her for her size and strength.

Despite Mina's kind and steady heart, she didn't have a lot of friends. In fact, before she met any of the Sailor Scouts, she worked solo as a crime fighter named Sailor V. Though she still had Artemis, she was still lonely and most of her classmates made fun of her behind her back. Raye seemed to have it harder than the rest of the girls did. A lot of people feared her for her spiritual powers and thought she was a demon or a witch.

All of that changed when they met Serena. She saw the girls differently from how everyone else did. She saw her friends for who they really were and brought out the best in them. She looked past their differences and eagerly shared a little bit of herself with them.

It was no different for the Heroes of Millennia. Yugi knew what it was like to be alone, to be bullied for being different. He wished for the courage to stand up for himself, but what he wished for more was to have friends because he didn't want to spend the rest of his life alone.

Joey felt the same way. He was a fighter like Lita and was trying to survive. But it took a wrong turn on the way with him being a bully. But deep down, Joey didn't feel good about being a bully and wanted to fight for the right reasons. He didn't just want something worth fighting for, but someone too.

Kaiba brought a harsh life on himself and his little brother when they were adopted by their stepfather. He was taught to trust no one and crush his enemies. Using everything he learned against his stepfather, Kaiba was free to take control and do things his way. He thought power was everything and he wouldn't allow anything to stand in his way. But no matter how much he tried to fill himself up with power, he still felt incomplete like something was missing. That feeling grew stronger with every defeat and the more Kaiba pushed himself, the greater the pain he brought on himself.

Then fate brought them together to learn and grow from one another. Emily helped out too in her own way. By remaining true to themselves and sharing a little bit of what made them who they were, the heroes discovered a missing piece of themselves and brought out the best in each other. Yugi got the friends he wished for, which also gave him the courage he hoped for, Joey learned what it meant to fight for the right reasons when he found true friends, Kaiba opened his heart to those who cared about him and who he cared about deep down inside, and Emily found her family from those she loved most.

When Sailor Moon and Sailor Celeste finally stopped screaming, Fiore finally released them and dropped them to the ground. He coldly viewed them and knew they were an inch from death now that they had been drained of their energy. "You and Sailor Moon are history, Princess Emily." He was ready to finish them off once and for all. "_Adios_, thieves of hearts."

"Don't," Sailor Venus shouted. "Don't! Sailor Moon's done more for me than anyone."

"I feel the same way for Sailor Celeste," the Masked Eagle said in agreement.

"These girls are the best friends anyone could ever ask for," said the Masked Phoenix. "Just ask Darien and Max. These girls can be your friends too."

"You could join us, Fiore," said Sailor Mercury. "Try using your powers to build more friendships instead of trying to destroy them."

Fiore stubbornly refused to listen. "You're just trying to trick me into sparing them so they can take Max and Darien away."

"You've already been tricked," the Masked Dragon corrected. "Xenian and the Dark Lord are just using you."

Sailor Mars agreed and faced Fiore with tears in her eyes. "Once Xenian and Cobalt get what they want, they'll have no further use for you and Max and Darien will be history too."

Fiore didn't want to believe it. "No! Xenain and Lord Cobalt are not traitors. They'll find a place for me, Max, and Darien. Sailor Moon and Princess Emily are the big obstacle that must be removed; the type to die!" he shouted and began launching his attack. The heroes begged Fiore to stop, but there was nothing they could do. The girls were helpless. Fiore thought he had succeeded and killed them when he saw the spears piercing them, but it turned out to be an illusion. The girls were unharmed, but still breathing weakly. Fiore also saw a red rose on his chest.

He looked and saw Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Night in front of him. They did this. They stopped Fiore and saved the girls. "Max? Darien? You choose them?"

"Yes," Tuxedo Mask weakly answered.

Fiore felt his power weakening. He and Xenian were divided back into their own beings again.

"Why don't you go after them?" Xenian asked. "They're weak. Get rid of them!"

Fiore wouldn't. "We're like family. We've shared the same pain. All I ever hoped for was to get back everything I lost and for us to be friends once more."

"We're sorry, Fiore," Sailor Night said sadly.

"Goodbye, Darien and Max. I hope you're happy with your choice." Suddenly, all of the flowers on the planet's fields began to disappear until there was nothing left.

The Masked Eagle looked around. "It's bare."

"The flowers," Sailor Venus was saying, "they've vanished."

Sailor Mercury sighed of relief. "Earth is safe," she said, looking at the blue planet in the distance. "We've foiled Xenian's mission."

"I'm afraid it's not over yet," said Sailor Night. She was right. The planet started coming apart. Everyone was standing on the core, which was moving towards Earth at a fast pace.

Fiore laughed wickedly. "I forgot to give you your little parting gift. Wouldn't want you to think I was rude, we've programmed the core of the planet to self-destruct on Earth. In a few minutes, we'll be on a crash course home and you won't have any hope of teleporting off this rock."

"And once we've landed, I'll suck the Earthlings dry of their energy," Xenian added.

"You'll do no such thing, Xenian," said Sailor Moon. She and Sailor Celeste manage to get up.

Their friends were afraid of what they were about to do. They were going to use the Silver Crystal and the Millennium Star to save everyone. But those forces were too powerful and with most of their energy having been drained away, using their powers meant sacrificing themselves. Their friends begged them not to do it, but Sailor Moon and Sailor Celeste promised their friends that everything would be all right. What mattered most to them now was everyone getting home safely.

Fiore wouldn't allow it. "If you girls think you're going to change this planet's trajectory, you're wrong!" He tried to seize the Silver Crystal, but its light stopped him. Fiore was about to try to take the Millennium Star too, but he remembered that if he touched it, he would end up purified.

Serena gently placed her hand over Fiore's. "We can help you. Your heart is still pure. We can be friends if you'll trust us."

"We can help you get your memories back too," Emily promised. "We want to help you. We want to be your friends."

Fiore didn't believe them. "You're lying!"

Serena thought of a way to convince him. "Maybe you'll believe me if I show you how Darien became my friend." And she began showing Fiore her memories of the day they met.

Serena came to the hospital to see her mother and her new baby brother. On the way, she heard someone crying in one of the hospital rooms. She saw that the door was ajar and peeked inside. When she did, she saw a young boy sitting on his bed and crying and thought maybe she could help him in some way. She approached him, placed her hand over his, and rested her head on his lap. Little Serena introduced herself and asked the boy why he was so sad. Young Darien answered that his only friend was going away today and he feared he was never going to see him again. Serena promised Darien that he wasn't losing his only friend because she was going to be his friend too. Serena held out a bouquet of roses she brought for her mother and gave one to Darien as a present. Darien kindly accepted her gift and thanked her.

As Fiore was watching, he realized that the rose Darien gave him was his gift from Serena. It was a gift from one friend to another. At the same time, many more images of his past started flashing before his mind.

"Fiore," Emily gently called, "is it all coming clear to you now?"

"Hold on," he replied, trying to make sense of the scenes. "Yes, I remember. I had many other friends before I met Darien. I lived on Earth too, but I still didn't think I could belong anywhere because I wasn't human. Max was one of my friends. But then, something happened and I found myself lost and alone. So I went on a journey hoping I could find everyone I lost. But instead, he found me." That was when he met the Dark Lord and began his new life working for him.

"Then those days of pain and loneliness began and I started to forget everything and everyone I knew," Fiore concluded.

"You probably remember me best looking like this," Max said, standing in front of him. Her appearance had completely changed. Her hair changed from black to blonde and she had fox ears on her head and a fox tail sticking out from behind. Her friends looked at her in shock. "Surprise," she told them.

"Yes," Fiore answered, smiling. "I remember everything, Max, including you. I remember those ears, that tail, you're just the same." He stops smiling and looks away. "And yet, you've changed so much."

"But I'm still me," she assured him. "And you're still you." She holds out her hand and lifts him up. "Look, Fiore," she says, looking at the Earth. "That's the planet we all come from; you, me, Darien, all of us. It may not be our world, but it's still our planet." She faces him and continues, "You and I were born on this planet for a reason. We have our own purpose in life. But it doesn't have to be based on who we are or where we come from. We can make our own destinies, decide how our lives are meant to be lived."

Fiore's eyes shined with hope. "You mean, this world could have a place for someone like you and me even though we're not human?"

"Our looks and abilities don't make us abominable," Max explained. "They make us special in our own way. And, Fiore, you can't keep being selfish all the time. What's yours doesn't have to be yours alone. The planet we come from belongs to everyone who lives in it. In a way, we're all friends."

"Everyone on my planet is my friend," Fiore muttered.

Max nods and continues, "That's right. And while Darien and I are your friends, we're not yours alone. We have other friends and they can be your friends too."

"That's what we've been trying to teach you all along," Joey was saying. "Friends can share friends. And us being warriors of Millennia and you being a servant of Cobalt doesn't mean we have to be enemies. I mean, look at Max. If she can be our friend, then you can too." He holds out his hand as a gesture of friendship. "You and I both love Max because she's special to the both of us. Why should it matter who loves her more? We're both her friends and we can share her. That means you and I can be friends too."

Fiore felt the same warm feeling inside. This time, it wasn't hurting. This time, it felt comforting. "So Max's friends and Darien's can be my friends too." Thinking about the vision Serena showed him earlier made him agree. He removed his hand from the Silver Crystal. When he did, he noticed that it took on the shape of a flower. Then the light of the Silver Crystal purified and destroyed the Xenian Blossom.

Tears began to flow from Fiore's eyes. "What have I done?" he asked himself, realizing his mistake.

"You've helped us to set things right and now you're free," said Max. She holds his hand again. "Let's go home, Fiore, back to Earth."

Fiore nods in agreement and firmly grasps her hand.

With the power of the Silver Crystal and the Millennium Star, Serena and Emily transform into the moon princess and the Egyptian princess. "Silver Crystal, Great Goddess Millennia, protect us," they prayed.

"We ask you to help us save them," Emily declared. "They are family to us. We are part of the same planet and our planet depends on all of us."

Serenity agreed. "They are our loyal friends and we depend on them."

Feeling Millennia's power filling up inside of them, the rest of her heroes transform as well. They join hands with the Sailor Scouts to pool their energy. Tuxedo Mask also transforms into Prince Darien. He approaches Princess Serenity and sets his hand over her shoulder to give her his strength. Sailor Night helped out by tapping into the power of her Cobalt Star shards and transforming into the Dark Knight.

The Sailor Scouts began to remember the day Serena came into their lives. Amy just liked to take every other day as a time for studying. It was no different for a day of relaxation. Serena swiped her textbook from her and invited her to come and play with her all day. Amy had never played with anyone before and thought it sounded like fun, so she decided to put aside studying for the day and play on the beach with Serena. "This has to work!" Sailor Mercury hoped.

Raye believed in working hard to achieve her goals and she also had a strong sense of responsibility. She had her duties as a shrine maiden and helping her grandfather. Serena admired her dedication, but advised Raye that she needed to take it easy because it played an important factor in taking care of herself. Seeing Serena look so cheerful and carefree made Raye assume that she was in good health in body and spirit. "We're here!" she cried out in support.

Lita never thought she'd meet someone who would see her for who she really was. A lot of people were so intimidated by her for her size and strength, but Serena wasn't like that at all. She invited herself to have lunch with Lita and admired her homemade cooking. Lita opened her heart to Serena and they've been good friends to this day. "Serenity," she cried out.

Mina had taken a liking to a life of fame when she was working alone as Sailor V, but when she joined the Sailor Scouts as a fellow ally, it didn't matter to her anymore. Being part of a team was better than being admired and swooned by fans. Besides, she just really loved helping others out no matter what the situation. Still, Serena was one of Sailor V's biggest fans and she felt honored to meet her. Mina felt most honored because now she had real friends to work with and hang out with. "We can do it!"

Emily and Serenity felt their friends' power building up inside of them. They even held hands to combine their powers together. _My friends,_ Princess Serenity thought to herself,_ I knew I could count on them as always and my prince too. I can feel their strength in the Crystal now. And Millennia's heroes, they are true friends as well. Their friendship matters as much to me. I believe Princess Emily feels the same way_, she thought, looking at her.

Emily did feel the same way. _We are all friends, part of the same planet. Together, there is nothing we cannot do. _

"We are planet power," the princesses cried out. The heroes called on the powers of their planets and elements and the princesses called on the powers of the Silver Crystal and the Millennium Star. Emily and Serenity were aware of the fates they would face, but they continued to hold on. Serenity wouldn't allow Emily to keep going, however, so she pushed her aside.

She fell and asked, "What are you doing?"

Serenity smiled and said, "Thank you, Princess Emily, but I can take it from here now."

"Serenity, no," Emily cried, but the Silver Crystal shattered and turned to dust. When it did, Serenity's eyes became lifeless and she fell back and landed in Darien's arms.


	14. Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

The heroes were able to stop the planet from plummeting to Earth. Serenity turned back into Sailor Moon, but she wasn't alive anymore.

Sailor Mars was trying to revive her. "Wake up," she sobbed. "Wake up, Sailor Moon! You and Emily did it! You girls stopped the planet!"

Now Sailor Celeste understood why Sailor Moon stopped her. "The Moon Crystal used all of her strength," she told her friends. "She didn't want me to meet the same fate, so she saved me by stopping me. No, she saved all of us."

"No," Sailor Mars cried. "You said everything would be all right!"

"Can't you help her?" the Masked Eagle asked Sailor Celeste.

She shakes her head. "There's nothing I can do. She's gone."

"The Tears of Life can't help us this time either," said the Masked Dragon, remembering how this happened before with Emily. "Pokémon and Duel Monsters don't exist here."

"Wake up," Sailor Jupiter cried. "You can't leave us alone like this."

Sailor Venus whimpered and pleaded, "Don't go, Sailor Moon. You're the glue that holds all of us together."

As everyone continued to mourn for their fallen comrade, Fiore came before Sailor Night and Tuxedo Mask. "My friends, you saved me. You delivered me from Xenian and helped me remember everything." He faces Max directly and tells her, "Max, I think I understand now why the Dark Lord chose me and sent me to this world. It was because of you. He did it to bring us back together. I thought I had to defeat the Heroes of Millennia too, but I realized I needed their help too; to help me realize how special you are and to teach me what true friendship is all about. Max, I thought I was lucky to have a friend like you and I think your friends are too and now I realize how important you are to them."

Max nods in agreement. "They can be your friends too. We can be together. Come back with us to our world. Come with _me_."

He shakes his head. "I'm sorry, Max. As wonderful as it sounds, I can't. But there is one thing I can do." He takes the Cobalt Star shard from around his neck and places it in her hand. "Take this. Now a part of me will always be with you no matter how far apart we are."

Max stifled a sob. "No, Fiore, I just got you back. I can't lose you again."

"This is the way it has to be," he said sadly. "I can make up for what I've done by doing these last selfless acts for those who matter most to me." He turns to Darien and decides it's time to finally fulfill his promise. "It's time for me to give you the perfect flower, Darien, my life." He holds out a white blossom and explains, "This is the friendship flower. It holds my life energy. Give its nectar to Sailor Moon."

Fiore was returning Serena's gesture from long ago by giving a gift from one friend to another. Inside his gift to Darien was the gift he could give to Serena; restoring her life. Max realized this and mixed feelings of happiness and sadness began to build up inside of her.

With Fiore's selfless act of friendship and Darien's love for his princess, his kiss restored the Silver Crystal and brought Sailor Moon back to life. She opened her eyes and saw her friends looking at her with smiles and tears. "We saved Earth?"

"Yes," Tuxedo Masked answered.

"Thank you," Sailor Moon said gratefully. "Without you, I never could have held the Crystal until the very end. So from now on, when I say it'll be all right, you'll believe me?"

The Sailor Scouts nod and hug her with laughs and sobs.

Sailor Celeste approached her. "Thank you, Sailor Moon. You saved my life. If I had held on to the Millennium Star until the end, I don't think I would have been able to come back."

"Sailor Celeste, I am just as thankful to you for sharing your Millennium Power with me," she returned. When the girls stood up and faced each other, the found themselves standing in front of the palace of the Moon Kingdom and they were princesses again.

"The stories of your days in the Silver Millennium are inspiring to me," Emily said sincerely. "And you, Princess Serena, are one of my biggest inspirations."

"And I have admired the stories of the Children of Millennia as well," Princess Serena returned.

"It's an honor to finally meet you," Emily said respectfully and held out her hand.

"I am just as honored that you and I are friends." And the princesses shook hands and found themselves standing before their friends again. "I'm sure Queen Serenity and Queen Mystery would have been good friends too."

Emily agreed and figured that maybe there's no reason they can't be now. They may be from two different worlds, but perhaps there's another world beyond where people from past generations and different worlds can meet and become friends.

Speaking of friends, everyone noticed that Fiore wasn't present anymore. The Masked Phoenix looked around. "Hey, guys, what happened to Fiore?"

"He's gone," Max muttered.

"Say what?" Joey asked. "I thought he was coming home with us."

"I wanted him to, but…" she was saying, but she stopped herself, remembering his last words. _"This is the way it has to be."_ This made Max wonder, why does fate have to be so cruel? But she agreed that it was time to go home. After pulling herself together, she joined the heroes and everyone began pooling their energy together.

The heroes teleported off the planet's core and found themselves back in front of the Juban District where they left Rini and the cats. Also, now that the task was complete and Earth was saved, the heroes were back in their original forms.

The next morning, everyone got together to say goodbye. "I guess now that you've got the Cobalt Star shard, you'll be going back to your world," Amy assumed.

Yugi nodded. "That's right."

"Well, it was great meeting all of you," said Raye. She blushes and wonders, "Do you think we'll ever meet again?"

Kaiba smiles and promises her, "Yes, but hopefully when we do, the fate of the world won't be on the line."

Lita agreed. "You said it. Maybe we could come to your world someday."

"That'd be cool," said Joey.

"Well, one thing's for sure," Emily was saying, "the bonds we made on this adventure are going to last the tests of time."

"No distance will be able to break them either," Mina added.

"And like we discussed," Yugi was saying, "while we may come from different worlds, we're still part of the same planet. That means we won't be so far apart from each other."

Many people who part from each other try their hardest to stand by that vow. That's why goodbyes can be hard. But it's all part of being strong and keeping the faith that one day, those who part will meet again.

Mina wanted to tell Joey how she felt about him, but she remembered how he felt about Max and ended up babbling. "Joey, I… I wanted to… I mean, I hoped… well, umm, I…"

But Joey understood. He smiled and told her, "Mina, I'm looking for someone too. And I think you're pretty swell and you deserve a good guy. But with you and I being from two different worlds, I don't think it would work out. So I hope you can be happy with us just being friends. I'll try to be."

Mina knew as much and that was what made her sad. But she didn't want to let that sadness torment her. It was true that she hoped for love, but she knew she couldn't be selfish, so she agreed that she and Joey could be friends. "Oh, Joey, you really are the hero of friendship."

He smiles and leans closer to her so he can whisper. "However, I will admit to this, Sailor Venus is my favorite Sailor Scout."

Mina softly gasps and whispers back, "And you're my favorite duelist," and kisses his cheek.

Even Kaiba and Raye felt something between them. They looked at each other in silence for a moment, then Raye looked up and smiled sadly. She hugs Kaiba and tells him, "Goodbye, Kaiba. I'll never forget you," and reaches up to kiss him.

He chuckles and says, "You take care, Raye, and I'll see you later."

"Will you guys be all right going home?" Serena asked.

"We will," Emily promised. "We know the way to get back."

"You take care of each other now," said Darien.

Yugi nods and says, "You too, Darien. Serena's special to you, so keep her close."

Darien nods, then looks at Max and wonders, "Will Max be okay?"

"I honestly don't know," Emily answered. "I've never seen her so broken up like this before." She faces Darien and asks him, "What about you? Are you going to be all right?"

Even he was unsure. He was going to miss Fiore, but he wasn't going to let his last selfless act be a sad memory. He smiles and assures her, "Time heals all wounds, Emily. I'm sure Max will feel better once she takes all the time she needs."

Kaiba sighs and says, "Maybe, but she still owes us some answers."

"Can't it wait?" Emily asked. "She's hurt badly enough as it is. We shouldn't pressure her more."

Yugi agrees. "Let's get her home. Maybe that'll help her."

"Okay, but first," Emily says, reaching into her backpack. She takes out her camera and asks, "Would it be all right if I took everybody's picture? I like taking pictures of new friends for my photo album."

Everyone smiles and gives her permission. So Emily took pictures of Serena, Darien, Raye, Amy, Lita, Mina, Rini, and Luna and Artemis. After the photos developed from the camera, Emily took out a pen and wrote everyone's names on their pictures. When she finished, she taped the pictures on one of the pages.

After the heroes said their goodbyes, Yugi and his friends walked through an alley in the district and found themselves back in the Secret Garden.


	15. I Won't Forget

I Won't Forget

Yugi and his friends decided to rest and relax in the Secret Garden for a while before returning to their world. Kaiba leaned against an oak tree and figured, "I think this was one of our easiest adventures yet."

"I don't," Emily argued. "This was actually hard. I mean, just imagine how Max must be feeling right now. She found someone she's been apart from for so long only to lose him again."

Max continued to stand by herself and gaze at Fiore's Cobalt Star shard. Joey sighed and approached her. "Max," he softly called. "I'm sorry," he said sincerely as tears began to fall from his eyes. "I'm so sorry. I thought we could save him. I wanted to, really, I did."

"Why?" she asked grimly.

He silenced himself, trying to think of an answer. "Because of what he meant to you," he finally replied. "I could tell you had strong feelings for Fiore and I knew you meant so much to him too. He was a friend in need like how you've always been to me. When I looked and saw you guys, I saw myself and how I would always risk everything for you because-" he stops himself before he can say more.

"Because you love me," she answered for him. "Is that it?" She turns around and faces him. "It's fine, you don't have to do anything about it. Besides, we did save him. He's free now; free from Xenian, free from Cobalt, free to be his own person."

"But he's gone," said Joey.

Max shakes her head. "No, Joey, he's free. Where he is now, I can't say because even I don't know."

Joey clears his throat and dries his eyes. "Well, then, I hope that someday, you get to see him again, wherever he is."

Max hoped so too. She hoped everyone she knew from long ago would be together again. She also had been listening to everyone's thoughts and was aware of what they had been discussing recently. "I suppose you're also wondering about what you saw back there; why you saw me with the ears and tail."

Joey remembered and asked, "What was that all about?"

"It's what I looked like when I last saw Fiore," she answered. "I thought I could help him remember me if I showed him my true form."

"Wait a minute, what do you mean, your true form?" Joey asked. That got the rest of his friends' attention. "Are you saying this isn't the real you? If that's true, then who are you?"

Max didn't reply. She looked away in sadness.

"Max," Kaiba was saying, "if you can tell us the truth, I promise I'll do my best to understand."

"We won't force you tell us if you don't want to, but don't lie to us," Yugi pleaded. "You're our friend and we trust you."

"We worry about you too and want to help you," Emily added. "I know you think we can't and you're probably right, but that doesn't mean we can't try."

Max remained silent. She knew her friends were right. She also hoped they wouldn't have to know about this personal side to Max, but now what she had revealed it in their stand against Fiore, she knew she had no choice.

Finally, she spoke and replied, "There's so much you don't understand. And I guess you really won't if I don't tell you." She turns around and looks directly at her friends. "Changing my appearances is one of my many abilities, but it's not just because of these Cobalt Star shards. I have other abilities by other means. You see, I'm not entirely human."

Yugi and the others were confused. They were aware of Max's power to change her form, but they didn't understand what she meant when she said she wasn't human. Kaiba spoke up and asked, "So what you look like right now, it's not your true form?"

"It is," Max assured him, "and yet, it isn't. I've taken on this form to conceal my fox features and I've been accustomed to it since I lived in Domino City, so I've decided to keep it as my own."

"And this you not being human part," Joey was asking, "Where does it come in, exactly?"

At first, Max was scared, but she inhaled deeply and let it straight out. "I'm a genetically altered hybrid." Her friends gasped and stared with wide eyes. "I was born from human parents, but when I began to develop in the womb, my DNA was genetically altered with fox genetics. I was born with the ears and tail of the fox and I also had the power to change my shape into anyone I wanted to look like."

"Foxes can do that?" Joey asked.

Emily nods and explains, "Remember the Kitsune? It's a fox creature that can take on the appearance of another person to deceive people."

Yugi was shocked. "How could people be allowed to do something like that? Using other humans for scientific curiosity?"

Kaiba agreed that it was outrageous, but he thought he understood. "It was all for research, right?" he asked Max. "Understanding genetics to create superhumans. It wasn't just about creating medicine and saving lives and making people healthier anymore."

The thought of it angered Emily. "Creating new life forms sounds like playing God to me. Something like this shouldn't be allowed!" She shuddered and said, "Only God can create life."

Joey gulped and said, "It kind of reminds me of _The Secret of NIMH_," he thought, "Like when all the rats at the institute became intelligent after going through their experiments."

"Your statements are somewhat accurate," said Max. "It was like that, but much worse, I'm afraid. But, yes, some of the researchers and doctors praised themselves like they were Gods." Thinking about the things she saw made her shudder. "There were others like me, hybrids who were taken from families they'll never know, put through unspeakable tortures, unable to bear the harsh cruelty of their tests."

Emily gulped and asked, "Was Fiore like you? Was he one of them?"

"He was. Back when I knew him, he was very reserved and didn't trust anyone. But when I reached out to him, he opened up to me. We stayed good friends for a long time until… until…" Max wanted to continue, but she couldn't bring herself to.

Everyone was shocked at what they were hearing. Now they knew more about Max's past and who she really was. Joey felt himself wanted to cry again and was trying to choke back his sobs. "Max, I… I didn't know." It was hard for him to imagine the things Max had been put through in life. "But you're here now. You have a home, you have us, everything you could ever want."

"No," she argued. "Not everything."

"Maybe you can't get back what you one had, but you still have a lot to lose," Kaiba was telling her. "I also know there's still so much that you're looking for."

Emily pulled herself together. "It doesn't change anything, you know. Now that I know more about you, it doesn't change how I feel about you. No matter what you look like, you're still you, Max. And you'll always be Max. And if those ears and tail are part of what make you who you are, then I'll accept it." She smiles and adds, "Being our friend is also part of what makes you who you are."

Max looks at Emily sadly. "You're too forgiving, Emily." She sniffles and asks, "Have you never met someone you couldn't love or accept? You must have met a least one person in your life you felt like you had to hate."

Sadly, Max was right. "Yes, that's true. I have felt hatred towards some people and even expressed it as well. My ex-stepfather is one of those people." A tear falls from her eye as she explains, "I've hated him for killing my mother and forcing me to leave my home and my friends. Now after what I've learned in these past several hours, I ask myself, do I still hate him? If not, what reason do I have for forgiving him?"

Kaiba crosses his arms and figures, "You're just going to have to find out on your own."

Joey looks down at his finger. A piece of Max's handkerchief was still tied around it. He looked at Max and decided that Emily was right. "I agree with Emily. I still feel strongly for you, Max. In fact, now that I know more about you, my feelings for you are stronger. You deserve better than what you had back then." He continues and adds, "And I know I can never replace Fiore; nobody can. He's one of a kind, like you. You're a diamond in the rough, Max. There's so much more to you and you've shown me many times. And like you said, Fiore's his own person. We'll never meet another like him. Even if we meet another Fiore, he's still his own person too; another guy with the same name and somebody else altogether."

"And for what it's worth, you have a purpose in life," Kaiba added. "You can make your own destiny and be who you want to be." He smiles and adds, "But you'll always be our friend no matter what."

"You have a home with us and in the other worlds too," said Yugi. "You're not alone, Max. You have people who love you and care about you."

As Max listened to what everyone was telling her, she began to feel warm inside. They remained true to their hearts and feelings for her. They accepted her. All she could say was, "Thank you." She lets the tears run free and begins crying of happiness. She dries her eyes and requests, "Do me a favor. I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anybody else about all this. I'd like to do it myself. You know, when I'm ready."

Her friends respected her request. This was her personal side and if she needed time before she was ready, then they would give her as much time as she would need.

Everyone was ready to return home. Max was about to pass through the door home until she heard a familiar voice echo, _"I will be with you _always_." _Max turned around and silently gasped. She recognized that it was Fiore's voice. She looked at the Cobalt Star shards, then up at the sky. She smiled and said, "Fiore, wherever you are, I heard you. Thank you. And one day, we will meet again in one world or another." And she followed her friends and walked through the door.

And so Max found her place among her friends. And she was happy even in her dreams. Because she knew that was where she would see Fiore again.


	16. Epilogue

Epilogue

As easy as this adventure seemed to be, it actually proved difficult for the heroes. When they were warned that this would be a test of character, they realized it was true. And though Yugi and his friends were shocked at what they found out about their friend Max, they chose not to develop feelings of hatred or fear. In fact, now that they know her better, their feelings for her are stronger. They may have even learned a little more about themselves and their feelings for each other.

So many lessons on friendship were learned on this journey. No friend should ever be taken for granted because there is only of that certain special someone in the whole world. You would never find the same person or anyone else like him or her in another world or anytime soon in the future. No matter how much people have in common with each other, each person is still his own person and that is what makes him special in his own way. That is why someone is considered one of a kind.

Being oneself is also one of the greatest gifts a friend can give because they are sharing what makes them who they are. For that matter, people should always be loved and accepted for who they are rather than be judged for their appearances or their talents. To be different is part of being normal.

Fiore learned his lessons the hard way, but he wouldn't have been able to had those who cared about him given up on him. And when he realized that those he loved were just as important to others, he knew that they were important to his friends too. Max and Darien were his friends, but the Sailor Scouts and the Heroes of Millennia were their friends too and Fiore was taught that he had to share. Because of that, Fiore knew he couldn't be selfish anymore. He could save his friendship with Max and Darien and save everybody else by giving up everything that made him who he was. And that was the greatest gift he could ever give. And now that he's free, Max hopes that Fiore will be able to begin a whole new life. But no matter how much he changes, he'll always be Fiore to her just like how she'll always be Max to her friends.

No matter what people look like, no matter what their talents or their abilities, it's part of what makes them their own person. Sometimes, they may be scorned and considered abominable by those who fear and hate them. Other times, they are admired and deemed awesome by those who are amazed and intrigued. There are also times when we don't always like ourselves for the way we are, but wanting to make certain improvements don't always make changes for the better. It's better to be your own person than it is to be somebody you're not and who you are on the inside doesn't always shape who you are on the outside. Never forget who you are, but you can still be anything you want to be. Because deep down inside, you're still the same person your friends and family love.


End file.
